iPhone 16 Top-Selling Smartphone In India, But Samsung Surpasses Apple In Super-Premium Segment: IDC Report

The mobile phone market in India grew steadily in the first half of 2025. Over 70 million units were shipped, representing a year-on-year growth of 0.9%, according to a report released by the International Data Corporation (IDC).

For the first time, Samsung has surpassed Apple in India's smartphone market in the super-premium segment, which includes devices costing more than $800 (about Rs 70,000). With a 49% market share, Samsung emerged as the top performer in the segment, just ahead of Apple's 48%.

Samsung's Galaxy S25, S25 Ultra and S24 Ultra were some of the models that contributed to this expansion.

Although Samsung led this segment, Apple's iPhone 16 accounted for 4% of all shipments in India during the first half of the year, making it the highest-selling model in H1 2025.

On Apple's performance, the Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker by the IDC mentioned, "Apple continued its strong performance during the first half of 2025, shipping 21.5% year-over-year to reach 5.9 million units. The iPhone 16 was the top-shipped model in India during 1H25, accounting for 4% of total India shipments for the period."

This reflects the intense battle in the premium category, where Samsung dominates total super-premium sales, though consumer choice still decidedly leans towards Apple.

While the overall Indian smartphone market edged up merely around 1% YoY during the first half of 2025, the super-premium segment led the way with robust growth, reflecting growing demand for premium handsets.

Samsung's incremental advantage comes from its Galaxy S25 series, which was launched earlier this year with AI capabilities. The slimmer design has also caught the attention of the customers. 

At the same time, Apple's sustained popularity is highlighted by the iPhone 16's performance as the leading standalone model in the country.

Overall, in H1 2025, Vivo continued to dominate India's smartphone market, maintaining its lead for the sixth consecutive quarter with a balanced portfolio spread across price and sales channels. Samsung remained in the second position with a growth rate of 21% through new launches in Galaxy A, M and F series.

Oppo took the third spot, due to contributions from its affordable K13 and A5x units, as well as intensified efforts in service centre penetration. Nothing reported the highest year-on-year growth at 84.9% during the period under review, closely trailed by iQOO's growth of 68.4%.