Tech giant Apple has recorded its highest-ever value share of 28% in the Indian smartphone market, driven by a surging "premiumisation" trend where consumers are increasingly opting for high-end devices, according to a report by Counterpoint Research.
The report highlighted a significant shift in the world's second-largest smartphone market, noting that while volume growth remains steady, the total market value is expanding at a much faster clip as Indian buyers trade up to more expensive models.
According to Counterpoint's latest insights, Apple had a 23% value share in India in 2024. The success of the iPhone 16 series, coupled with aggressive financing schemes and trade-in offers, has pushed the Cupertino-based company to its highest-ever value share in the country.
“Apple led the market in 2025 in value terms with a 28% share, as festival-led promotions and deeper channel expansion supported revenue growth. Apple's iPhone 16 ranked as the top-shipped model in India in 2025. This also marked the highest-ever annual shipment share for an iPhone in India,” the report noted.
India's smartphone market grew 1% year-on-year (YoY) in volume and 8% YoY in value in 2025.
In mainline retail, financing accounted for 40% of total smartphone volume sales in 2025. In the premium segment, priced above Rs 30,000, nearly two-thirds of purchases were financed, reflecting the growing role of EMI options in enabling consumers to upgrade to higher-end devices.
The report defines premiumisation as the increasing consumer preference, with the segment growing faster than the entry-level and budget segments, which were previously the primary drivers of the Indian market.
“The premium segment (> Rs 30,000) emerged as the fastest-growing in 2025 in volume terms, expanding 11% YoY and accounting for 22% of overall shipments, the highest share ever recorded, driving the market's highest-ever annual value growth of 8% YoY,” Counterpoint Research Director Tarun Pathak said.
Pathak further added that market dynamics point to a more polarised market structure in early 2026, as premiumisation continues to support value growth while entry-tier volumes remain under pressure.
While Apple leads in value, South Korean giant Samsung maintained a strong presence, leading the foldable smartphone segment in 2025 with 88% volume share and 28% YoY volume growth.
Samsung was also backed by its diverse portfolio across the mass market via its A, M and F series, alongside steady premium traction driven by its S series.
Motorola (54% YoY) was the fastest-growing brand in 2025 by volume, while CMF (83% YoY) was the fastest-growing sub-brand.
India's smartphone market is forecast to experience a single-digit volume decline in 2026, driven by rising memory and component costs that curb demand, particularly in the sub-Rs 15,000 segment.
At the same time, price increases and a stronger premium focus by leading manufacturers are set to raise average selling prices by 5-7% year-on-year.
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