Hitting its strongest growth in five years in third quarter of 2025 (3Q25), Indian smartphone market is buzzing and making waves globally!
Vivo Surpasses Samsung to Claim Second Spot in India’s Smartphone Market
As per the International Data Corporation (IDC), fuelled by festive sales and booming demand for premium devices, the shipments have increased 4.3% year-on-year to nearly 48 million units. On the flipside, it was the sluggish budget phone sales and rising prices that kept overall growth from hitting full throttle.
This was the Indian scene in the global space but what has also changed within Indian market is the rankings of different players. In the reshuffled rankings of top players, Vivo has now overtaken Samsung to claim the second spot in India’s smartphone market.
Samsung, which was 2nd last year, has dropped to 3rd place. As per the data by IDC, Vivo is leading with a market share of 18.3%, followed by Oppo and Samsung at 13.9% and 12.6% respectively. Notably, Samsung’s share in the 3Q24 was 12.3%, hence in 3Q25 with 12.6%, there is slight improvement. But if we look at the bigger picture, then the smartphone maker is losing ground to competitors that are growing faster.
Apple Tops Premium Segment as Motorola Soars and Budget Brands See Decline
4th in the list is the Cupertino based giant Apple with 10.4 % share, which is its highest ever share in India, with last year share being 8.6%. The 25.6 % YoY growth of the company also reflects the growing market of premium smartphones.
Apple Tops Premium Segment, Samsung Leads Mid-Premium
Speaking of the super-premium segment (priced above Rs. 70,000), Apple took over Samsung in the 3Q25. On the other hand, in the mid-premium segment (Rs. 20,000 to 40,000), the South Korean company still leads and reported a steady demand for mid-range models.
Other players saw mixed results.
Motorola reached a market share of 8.3%, with a stunning 52.4% YoY growth.
On the flipside, Realme, Xiaomi and OnePlus reported decline in market shares. This decline is also in line with the slowdown in the entry-level and budget categories.
Moving back to Samsung, then with no major new launches planned ahead for few months, chances of Samsung climbing the list back are slim.
As per the IDC report, Indian buyers are increasingly favouring feature-rich and premium models, a trend likely to continue into 2026.
Summary
Q3 2025 saw significant shifts in the Indian smartphone market, with the market growing 4.3% YoY to 48 million units, Vivo overtook Samsung to secure second place, with Oppo being third in the list. Notably, Apple was fourth in the list, achieving its highest-ever 10.4% share. Apple leads the super-premium segment, Samsung the mid-premium, while Motorola saw 52.4% growth. Budget brands like Realme, Xiaomi, and OnePlus declined, reflecting a shift toward feature-rich and premium smartphones.
