Smartphone manufacturers reportedly shipped 48 million units in India in the third quarter (Q3) 2025.
iPhone Air (pictured) saw a strong debut in Q3 2025, according to IDC
India's smartphone market saw about a 4 percent growth in the third quarter (Q3) of 2025, according to International Data Corporation (IDC). This is claimed to be the highest YoY growth in a quarter, driven by strong demand in the premium segment in the country. This is indicative of a market shift, where customers are preferring more expensive handsets rather than entry-level or budget phones. Apple climbed to the fourth position in terms of quarterly shipments for the first time. Vivo, Oppo, and Samsung took the first three spots, with a market share of 18.3 percent, 13.9 percent, and 12.6 percent, respectively.
According to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker report for the June to September 2025 quarter, India's smartphone market witnessed a growth of 4.3 percent YoY, which is the highest in the last five years in the corresponding quarter. The OEMs together shipped 48 million smartphones in India, with Vivo holding the highest market share of 18.3 percent in Q3 2025, growing from 15.8 percent in Q3 2024.
The IDC claims that the growth was largely fueled by the robust demand for premium smartphones priced in India between $600 (roughly Rs. 53,000) and $800 (roughly Rs. 71,000), further driven by the sale of new launches and older models. However, the IDC said that the strong growth momentum was offset by relatively low demand for entry-level Android handsets, priced under $100 (about Rs. 8,900), along with increasing average selling prices (ASP), indicating a market shift towards “higher-value segments”.
Apple, recording the “highest-ever quarterly shipments in India” in the last quarter ended September 30, came in fourth position for the first time, with a market share of 10.4 percent, up from 8.6 percent in Q3 2024. The Cupertino tech giant reportedly shipped 5 million units, seeing a YoY growth of 25.6 percent, fueled by strong demand across the range. Last year's iPhone 16 was the “most-shipped smartphone” in India in Q3 2025. Moreover, the latest iPhone 17 lineup and iPhone Air accounted for 16 percent of the company's total shipments in the quarter.
Samsung, coming in at the third position, claimed the top spot in the mid-premium segment, with last year's Galaxy S24 accounting for “nearly one-third” of the total shipments in the $400 (about Rs. 35,000) to $600 (roughly Rs. 53,000) price segment. Its market share in Q3 2025 was 12.6 percent, increasing from 12.3 percent YoY.
Oppo took the second position on the list, commanding a market share of 13.9 percent, witnessing a YoY growth of 4.2 percent in terms of total units shipped. Realme, Xiaomi, Poco, iQOO, and OnePlus, holding the fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, and tenth positions, were the only brands that saw the number of units shipped in Q3 2025 reduce from the same quarter last year. Interestingly, Motorola recorded the highest YoY change of 52 percent in quarterly smartphone shipments among the ten brands.
| Brands | Q3 2024 Market Share | Q3 2025 Market Share | YoY Unit Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vivo | 15.8 percent | 18.3 percent | 20.7 percent |
| Oppo | 13.9 percent | 13.9 percent | 4.2 percent |
| Xiaomi + Poco | 17.2 percent | 13.5 percent | -37.5 percent |
| Samsung | 12.3 percent | 12.6 percent | 6.3 percent |
| Apple | 8.6 percent | 10.4 percent | 25.6 percent |
While Xiaomi and Poco separately rank lower on the list, together the Chinese smartphone maker and its sub-brand rank third on the list. As per IDC's report, the company, along with Realme and Vivo, led the entry-level price segment, which itself witnessed a growth of 35.3 percent YoY in India in Q3 2025. The three brands, combined, accounted for more than 50 percent of the handset shipments. Moreover, the shipment of Qualcomm-based phones also increased by 17.9 percent, thanks to Xiaomi, Poco, and Nothing.
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