India’s smartphone market surged to a five-year high during the festive third quarter of 2025 (3Q25), growing 4.3 percent year-over-year to 48 million units, IDC said in a report.
The growth in India’s smartphone market during Q3-2025 was fueled by strong demand for premium smartphones, driven by new launches, older flagship discounts, and attractive festive offers across channels, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.
Qualcomm Gains Market Share, MediaTek Declines
Qualcomm-based smartphone shipments in India rose 17.9 percent YoY, capturing a 29.2 percent market share in 3Q25, boosted by higher shipments from Xiaomi, POCO, and Nothing. In contrast, MediaTek’s market share fell to 46.0 percent from 53.1 percent a year ago, following a 9.7 percent decline in shipments.
Vivo has retained the top position with an 18.3 percent market share, up from 15.8 percent a year ago, supported by a 20.7 percent increase in shipments. OPPO maintained the second spot with a flat 13.9 percent share, growing 4.2 percent.
Samsung ranked third with a 12.6 percent share, rising slightly from 12.3 percent, while Apple climbed to fourth place with a record 10.4 percent share and the strongest growth among top global brands at 25.6 percent.
Realme slipped to fifth with 9.8 percent share, down from 11.5 percent, marking a 10.9 percent decline. Xiaomi’s share fell sharply to 9.2 percent from 11.4 percent, a 15.6 percent drop in shipments. Motorola recorded the highest growth among the top ten, surging 52.4 percent to secure 8.3 percent share, up from 5.7 percent last year.
POCO, iQOO, and OnePlus saw declines in both market share and shipments, with POCO’s share dropping to 4.3 percent, iQOO to 3.3 percent, and OnePlus to 2.4 percent. The combined share of other brands stood at 7.5 percent, up slightly from 7.2 percent in Q3 2024.
Apple Achieves Record Shipments
Apple recorded its highest-ever quarterly shipments in India at 5 million units, securing the fourth position in the market for the first time. Shipments grew 25.6 percent YoY, supported by strong demand for both new and existing models.
The iPhone 16 was India’s most-shipped smartphone during the quarter, accounting for 5 percent of total market shipments, while the iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air contributed 16 percent of Apple’s quarterly shipments – the strongest iPhone launch since 2021.
Premiumization Trend Continues
India’s average smartphone selling price (ASP) climbed 13.7 percent YoY to reach a record USD 294 in Q3 2025, as consumer preference continued shifting toward higher-end devices, Aditya Rampal, senior research analyst, Devices Research, IDC Asia/Pacific, said.
Entry-Level (below USD 100): Up 35.3 percent YoY, expanding to a 16 percent share. Xiaomi, realme, and vivo led this segment.
Mass-Budget (USD 100–200): Down 8.8 percent YoY, with share dropping to 40 percent. vivo, OPPO, and realme dominated.
Entry-Premium (USD 200–400): Declined 4.9 percent YoY to 26 percent share. vivo, OPPO, and Samsung led the segment.
Mid-Premium (USD 400–600): Grew 10.7 percent YoY, driven by Samsung’s Galaxy S24.
Premium (USD 600–800): Up 43.3 percent YoY, led by Apple’s iPhone 16, 15, and 17.
Super-Premium (above USD 800): Grew 52.9 percent YoY, with Apple reclaiming leadership from Samsung.
Offline Channel Expansion
Offline smartphone shipments grew 21.8 percent YoY in Q3 2025, capturing 56.4 percent of total market share, up from 48.3 percent a year earlier. Growth was driven by festive discounts, trade partner incentives, and improved availability of premium models. Online shipments, however, fell 12 percent YoY, with share declining to 43.6 percent.
IDC noted that despite strong festive season demand, inventory build-up and rising component costs could lead to shipment declines in Q4 2025. The total smartphone shipments for the year are projected to fall below 150 million units, marking an annual contraction after a strong third-quarter performance.
Baburajan Kizhakedath
