India’s smartphone market slows down in early 2025, but Apple shines bright

Apple

India's smartphone market didn’t have the best start in 2025. According to a new report by IDC, 32 million smartphones were shipped in the first quarter (January–March), which is a 5.5% drop compared to the same time last year. This is the second quarter in a row where phone sales have fallen, mainly because of weak consumer demand and leftover stock from late 2024.

But while the market dipped, Apple had a great run. It saw the biggest growth among the top 5 brands, with a 23% year-on-year jump. Apple shipped a record 3 million iPhones during the quarter — its best first-quarter performance in India ever. The iPhone 16 was the most popular model, making up 4% of all smartphones sold in the country.

In January and February, phone makers didn’t launch many new models. They focused on clearing older stock by offering discounts. Things picked up in March, with many brands launching new phones in all price ranges, backed by big marketing campaigns.

Here’s what else stood out:

–The average price of a smartphone in India hit an all-time high of Rs 25,000
–Budget phones saw a big drop in sales, falling by nearly 22%.
–Expensive phones did much better. Phones between $600 and $800 — like the iPhone 16 — saw nearly 79% growth. Phones priced between $400 and $600, like the iPhone 13 and Samsung Galaxy A56, also saw strong demand.
–5G phones are now everywhere — 29 million were shipped, making up 88% of the market. Even affordable 5G phones like the Xiaomi Redmi 14C, OPPO K12x/A3x, and realme 14x were among the top sellers.

Offline stores are seeing more customers. Sales from physical stores went up by 10%, while online sales dropped by 21%. Brands like vivo, OPPO, and Samsung led offline sales. For online, Samsung and Motorola were top, with realme climbing to the third spot.

Overall, vivo, Samsung, and Apple remained the top three brands. realme moved ahead of Xiaomi to grab the fourth spot, thanks to its new phones from the 14, Narzo 80, and P3 series. The fastest-growing brands overall were Nothing, Google, and Motorola.
IDC says phone sales might grow only slightly this year, as rising prices continue to be a challenge. Brands are now focusing on boosting of offline presence, offering easy finance options, and packing more AI features into their phones.