With the iPhone 16 dominating the shipments, India’s smartphone market booms in Q2 2025 with 8% volume growth and a record-high value as premium devices thrive.
India’s smartphone market saw an 8% year-on-year (YoY) growth in volume and an 18% increase in value during Q2 2025, marking its highest-ever Q2 value. According to this recent data published by Counterpoint Research, this recovery, following a slower Q1, was primarily driven by a 33% YoY surge in new smartphone launches and aggressive marketing tactics from brands.
On the other hand, promotional activities, including deep discounts, easy EMI schemes, and bundled offers, especially in mid and premium segments, boosted demand, particularly during summer sales.
The ultra-premium (>INR 45,000) segment grow 37% YoY, making it the fastest-growing price band. Apple and Samsung capitalised on this trend with trade-in programs, no-cost EMIs, and limited-time summer discounts. The iPhone 16 emerged as the most-shipped device, reflecting strong consumer demand.
A more favourable macroeconomic environment also supported this recovery. A decrease in retail inflation, along with lower repo rates, made financing more accessible for consumers. These factors, combined with tax relief measures, increased disposable incomes, allowing for more discretionary spending.
Among the vendors, vivo emerged as the top player by volume, with strong demand in the INR 10,000–15,000 segment. Samsung led in terms of value with a 23% share. Meanwhile, OPPO secured third place with its A5 and K series showing strong performance.
Other notable brands included Nothing, which saw a 146% YoY growth, and Motorola, which grew by 86% YoY due to strong demand for its G and Edge series. India’s own Lava also recorded impressive growth, particularly in the sub-INR 10K segment, with a 156% YoY increase, driven by competitive launches and improved after-sales service.
Meanwhile, realme expanded into the ultra-premium segment with its GT series 7 Pro Dream Edition, a co-branded model aimed at younger consumers.
In terms of chipsets, MediaTek led the market with a 47% share, followed by Qualcomm with 31%. Qualcomm saw a 28% YoY growth in shipments during the quarter.
Commenting on the trends, Shubham Singh, Research Analyst at Counterpoint, stated, “During Q2 2025, both OEMs and channels hosted several sales events, including parallel offline events, which helped some of the OEMs clear existing inventory and push for new launches.
