India's smartphone shipments up 5 pc in July-Sept; Apple breaks into top 5

New Delhi, Nov 3 (IANS) India’s smartphone market continued its recovery in the July–September quarter of 2025, growing 5 per cent year-on-year (YoY) by volume and 18 per cent by value -- its highest-ever quarterly value, a new report showed on Monday.

The growth was fueled by strong festive demand, attractive discounts, and rising interest in premium phones, according to Counterpoint Research.

Analysts said the market’s focus is shifting from volume growth to value growth, as more consumers upgrade to higher-end smartphones.

Retail inflation has eased and consumer confidence has improved, while easy financing options and attractive trade-in offers have encouraged more buyers to spend on premium devices.

Senior Analyst Prachir Singh from Counterpoint Research said that better household liquidity and festive optimism supported strong sales during the quarter.

“Softer interest rates and easy financing options further fueled upgrade-driven demand, encouraging brands to stock up early. OEMs rolled out aggressive discounts and EMI offers on older models, effectively attracting value-conscious buyers,” he said.

The premium smartphone segment, which includes devices priced above Rs 30,000, saw the fastest growth -- up 29 per cent YoY in shipments.

This helped the overall market value grow 18 per cent YoY, while the average selling price (ASP) rose 13 per cent.

Apple led the premium market with a 28 per cent value share, driven by strong demand for its iPhone 16 and 15 series.

The newly launched iPhone 17 series also received a strong response, with early demand exceeding that of previous models.

Samsung followed with a 23 per cent value share, supported by its Galaxy S and A series and record sales of its foldable phones.

On the shipment side, vivo (excluding iQOO) emerged as the top smartphone brand in India with a 20 per cent market share, powered by its extensive offline presence and successful T-series models.

Samsung ranked second with a 13 per cent share, while OPPO (excluding OnePlus) gained ground through a wider product range and stronger retail partnerships.

In a major milestone, Apple entered India’s top five smartphone brands by volume for the first time, making India the third-largest iPhone market in the world.

The iPhone 16 was the most shipped device in the country for the second quarter in a row.

Analysts noted that Apple’s growing retail presence, easy financing options, and strong brand appeal have made its phones more accessible to Indian consumers, even in smaller cities.

--IANS

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