India’s smartphone market shrinks 7% in Q1 2025, 5G and premium devices surge

Smartphones

India’s smartphone market declined 7% year-over-year in Q1 2025, according to CyberMedia Research (CMR), as shifting consumer preferences and fierce competition reshaped the landscape. Despite the overall dip, the premium and 5G segments defied the trend, with strong growth driven by AI integration and affordable 5G offerings.

5G smartphones now dominate, accounting for 86% of shipments—a 14% YoY increase. Notably, 5G devices priced between Rs 8,000 and Rs 13,000 saw over 100% YoY growth, reflecting India’s accelerating appetite for affordable next-gen connectivity. Vivo led the 5G charge with a 21% market share, edging out Samsung (19%).

Vivo also topped the overall market with a 20% share, fueled by models like the Y29 and T-series, which made up nearly half of its 5G shipments. Samsung followed at 18%, though it saw a 13% drop in the midrange segment. Xiaomi slipped to third with a 13% share, suffering a sharp 37% YoY decline.

Oppo climbed to 12%, thanks to a strong showing from the A and K series. Motorola stood out with 53% YoY growth, continuing its streak of strong double-digit performance. Nothing also made waves, posting a 200% surge, driven by its Phone (3a) series.

On the chip front, MediaTek led with 46% market share overall, while Qualcomm maintained its grip on the premium segment with 35%.

Apple’s India push paid off with a 25% YoY growth and 8% market share, as the iPhone 16 series boosted its presence in both super-premium and uber-premium categories.

Looking ahead, CMR predicts modest overall growth in 2025, shaped by the mainstreaming of affordable 5G, AI adoption, and localised manufacturing.  “In the quarters ahead, India’s smartphone market will be shaped by three converging forces: the mainstreaming of affordable 5G, the rapid infusion of on-device AI, and the growing acceleration for supply chain localisation," added Prabhu Ram, VP at CyberMedia Research (CMR).