India smartphone market closed 2025 with marginal 0.5% year-over-year growth to 152 million units, but Q4 2025 shipments declined 5% YoY to 34 million units according to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker released February 16, 2026. The fourth-quarter drop stemmed from post-festive inventory normalization and cautious consumer spending that limited replacement and upgrade demand, while unprecedented memory costs drove average selling prices up 4% YoY instead of the typical post-festive decline.
IDC projects 2026 shipments will contract due to global memory shortages, though premium demand and finance-led purchasing should support value growth.
Price Segment Performance Breakdown
The premium segment ($600-$800) recorded the fastest growth at 37% YoY, with Apple dominating 74% share driven by iPhone 16, iPhone 15, and iPhone 17 shipments accounting for over 65% of volumes.
Apple’s Record India Performance
Apple shipped a record 14 million iPhones in India during 2025, growing 16% YoY and making India its fourth-largest market globally after the US, China, and Japan. Apple ranked fifth overall by volume with 10% share while leading by value with 29% share. The iPhone 16 alone accounted for 4% of total smartphone shipments in India during 2025.
According to Aditya Rampal, Senior Research Analyst at IDC Asia Pacific, higher memory costs and a depreciating rupee pushed prices higher across both new and existing models in Q4, dampening consumer demand. Full-year smartphone ASPs rose 8% YoY to a record $282.
Chipset Wars: Qualcomm Gains Ground
Qualcomm-based smartphone shipments surged 23% YoY in 2025, increasing market share to 30%, largely driven by Xiaomi, POCO, OPPO, and Nothing devices. In contrast, MediaTek shipments declined 15% YoY, reducing its share to 46% from 54% a year earlier — a significant shift in the India chipset landscape.
This reversal reflects Qualcomm’s aggressive mid-range positioning with competitive pricing and feature sets that resonated with Indian consumers seeking performance without flagship premiums.
Offline Retail Comeback
Offline retail channels recorded their highest shipment levels in six years, growing 12% YoY and expanding share to 57% from 51% in 2024. Online shipments declined 12%, lowering share to 43% from 49%. IDC noted that balanced omnichannel pricing, trade margins, and premium-focused festive promotions supported offline growth, while entry-level and lower mid-range Android devices faced weaker upgrade demand.
The offline resurgence challenges the narrative that Indian smartphone buying had permanently shifted online, demonstrating that physical retail remains vital for premium devices requiring hands-on evaluation.
Vendor Landscape and Nothing’s Rise
Vivo retained leadership through diversified portfolio and omnichannel reach, followed by Samsung and OPPO. As Xiaomi’s share declined, realme, Motorola, and iQOO improved positions. Nothing emerged as the fastest-growing brand, posting 45% YoY growth — validating its distinctive Glyph lighting design language and Nothing OS software differentiation strategy.
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Outlook: Memory Crisis Looms
According to Upasana Joshi, Senior Research Manager at IDC Asia Pacific, smartphone shipments in India are expected to contract in 2026 due to unprecedented global memory shortage. While volumes will decline, continued premium demand and finance-led purchasing should support value growth despite recent price increases across Android devices pointing to market consolidation.
