New Delhi | Chinese smartphone maker Vivo maintained its lead in the Indian smartphone market with an 18.3 per cent volume share in the September quarter while Apple clocked its highest-ever shipment of 50 lakh iPhones in a quarter, market research firm IDC said in a report on Tuesday.
According to the International Data Corporation's (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Apple led both premium (smartphones priced in the range of Rs 53,000-71,000 apiece) and super-premium segment (priced above Rs 71,000 apiece) that drove the growth of the country's smartphone market in the September quarter.
"India's smartphone market reached a five-year high in the third quarter of 2025 with growth of 4.3 per cent year-over-year (YoY) to 4.8 crore units. The growth was driven by strong demand for premium smartphones, supported by both new launches and previous-generation models," the report said.
The premium segment recorded a robust growth of 43.3 per cent year-on-year as its share increased from 4 to 6 per cent.
"Apple's iPhone 16, iPhone 15, and iPhone 17 collectively made up over 70 per cent of shipments in this category. The super-premium segment posted the highest growth of 52.9 per cent YoY, with share rising from 6 to 8 per cent. Apple regained leadership from Samsung, with 66 per cent and 31 per cent share, respectively. Key models driving the segment included the iPhone 16, Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold7, iPhone 16 Pro, and Galaxy S25 Ultra," the report said.
Apple's iPhone supplies grew 25.6 per cent, driven by sustained demand across both new and existing models.
"The iPhone 16 remained the most-shipped smartphone in India during the quarter, contributing 5 per cent of total market shipments, while the newly launched iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air saw a record-breaking debut, accounting for 16 per cent of Apple's Q3 shipments -- the strongest launch-quarter performance for any iPhone since 2021," the report said.
Vivo led the market with 18.3 per cent share following growth of about 21 per cent in the smartphone supplies. It was followed by Oppo with a 13.9 per cent share, Samsung 12.6 per cent, Apple 10.4 per cent, Realme 9.8 per cent, and Xiaomi 9.2 per cent.
"Notably, the eTailers relied heavily on discount-led sales of previous-generation flagship models from Apple and Samsung, which significantly boosted overall volumes," IDC Asia/Pacific, senior research analyst for devices research, Aditya Rampal, said.
Even in this high growth season, Chinese mobile company OnePlus volume shipment plummeted 30.5 per cent, while Motorola recorded the highest growth rate of 52.4 per cent compared to competitors, according to IDC estimates.
The IDC report said growth momentum was offset by weaker demand for entry-level Android smartphones and rising average selling prices (ASPs), highlighting the market's continued shift towards higher-value segments.
Smartphone average selling prices (ASPs) surged to a record USD 294, about Rs 26,000 apiece in September 2025 quarter, growing 13.7 per cent year-over-year (YoY), driven by strong demand for premium and higher-specification models.
Shipment of smartphones built on Qualcomm chipsets grew 17.9 per cent YoY during the quarter, capturing a 29.2 per cent market share. On the other hand, MediaTek chipset-based smartphone share declined about 53 per cent to 46 per cent on a YoY basis.
IDC, however, has projected a year-on-year decline in shipments for the December quarter to below 15 crore units for the year due to increase in prices of devices post-festival season.
IDC Asia Pacific, senior research manager for devices research, Upasana Joshi said that aggressive festive promotions and flexible financing options drove strong shipment volumes in the third quarter of 2025.
"However, consumer demand remained concentrated in the premium segment, leaving the mass market under pressure and resulting in a significant inventory build-up heading into the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2025. This surplus has been further exacerbated by rising component costs -- particularly in memory -- and currency fluctuations, prompting brands to raise prices post-Diwali. As a result, IDC forecasts a year-on-year decline in shipments for Q4 2025," Joshi said.
