Apple recorded 14 million shipments in the country in 2025, marking 16 percent annual growth.
Apple's strong performance in 2025 was driven by the iPhone 16
India's smartphone market closed 2025 on a flat note, according to a new report by International Data Corporation (IDC). The total smartphone shipments in the country reached 152 billion units for the year 2025, led by Vivo, followed by Samsung and Oppo. Meanwhile, Apple led the premium and mid-premium smartphone categories in the last year, and India remained as the iPhone maker's fourth-largest global market in 2025. The report notes that Xiaomi's market share declined, and companies like Realme, Motorola, and iQOO used this opportunity to strengthen their positions in the market.
As per IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker report, India's smartphone market ended 2025 on a flat note, inching up just 0.5 percent year-over-year to 152 million units. The market witnessed a slow start, and shipments came on track in the second and third quarters. IDC notes that in the fourth quarter of 2025, shipments fell 5 percent YoY to 34 million units, as post-festive inventory normalisation and cautious consumer spending weighed on demand.
The report highlights that India became Apple's fourth-largest market globally in 2025, behind the US, China, and Japan. Apple recorded 14 million shipments in the country, marking 16 percent annual growth. In the Indian market, the iPhone maker is ranked fifth with 9.5 percent market share, but it has 29 percent share by value in 2025.
Photo Credit: IDC
The sale of iPhone 16 backed Apple's record growth, which alone accounted for 4 percent of total smartphone shipments in India during the year.
Vivo retained the top position in the Indian smartphone segment last year with a 19.3 percent share, followed by Samsung at 14.1 percent. Oppo came in third with 13.3 percent market share, where Realme saw shipments drop 9.5 percent but came in fourth place. Apple rounded out the top five.
Market share of OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Poco declined last year, with sales falling 38.8 percent, 29.3 percent, and 24.8 percent, respectively. IDC states that brands like Realme, Motorola, and iQOO capitalised on this shift to strengthen their positions in the market.
According to IDC, the entry-level segment (sub-$100 (roughly Rs. 90,00)) grew strongly by 18 percent YoY, increasing its share to 16 percent, led by Xiaomi and Vivo. Motorola recorded the fastest growth in this segment.
The mass budget segment ($100–$200, or roughly Rs. 10,000–20,000), on the other hand, declined 8 percent YoY, with its share slipping to 41 percent from 44 percent. Vivo, Oppo and Motorola gained share in this price segment backed by models like Vivo T4X and Oppo A5.
The entry-premium segment ($200–$400, or roughly Rs. 20,000–Rs. 36,000) fell 5 percent YoY, and Vivo, Samsung, and Motorola posted gains in this category. The Motorola Edge 60 Fusion led shipments in 2025.
The mid-premium segment ($400–$600, or roughly Rs. 36,000–Rs. 54,000) grew 23 percent YoY, with Apple leading, followed by Samsung and Oppo. The iPhone 13, Oppo Reno 13 Pro, and the Galaxy A56 and Galaxy S24 are the key phones that led the growth
The premium segment ($600–$800, or roughly Rs. 54,000–Rs. 75,000) expanded 37 percent YoY. Apple dominated this category with a 74 percent share, backed by the iPhone 16, iPhone 15, and iPhone 17.
The super-premium segment ($800 and above) surged 7 percent YoY. Apple led this segment with 63 percent, while Samsung also recorded growth backed by the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Ultra shipments.
IDC forecasts that sales volumes will fall in 2026. "Despite stagnant shipments in a challenging 2025, India's smartphone market delivered a strong 9 percent year-over-year value growth. Looking ahead, IDC expects volumes to contract in 2026 amid an unprecedented global memory shortage," said Upasana Joshi, Senior Research Manager, Devices Research, IDC Asia Pacific.
"Recent price increases in the Android ecosystem also point toward market consolidation, where scale will be critical for vendors to secure supply and manage pricing,” he added.
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