KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Apple achieved a remarkable 23% year-over-year growth, shipping three million units, with the iPhone 16 taking the lead in the premium smartphone segment.

Offline distribution channels have captured a 58% market share, while shipments through online channels have declined by 21.1%.

Smartphones powered by Qualcomm experienced a notable 40.8% year-over-year growth, while MediaTek’s market share decreased to 43.6%.

The Indian smartphone market showed a 6% decline year on year in the first quarter of 2025, with a total of 32 million units shipped. This data comes from IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. It marks the second consecutive quarter of decline, attributed to a significant drop in consumer demand and an excess of inventory. Despite this downturn, companies like Apple and Motorola have seen substantial growth, while Xiaomi, Poco, and OnePlus have faced challenges with falling shipment numbers.

In this challenging environment, Apple managed to ship an impressive three million units during the quarter, reporting a 23% growth compared to the previous year. The iPhone 16 emerged as the top-selling device in the premium segment, making up over 32% of total shipments. However, Samsung and Vivo remain prominent players in the offline market, while Motorola has shown remarkable performance, claiming a leading position in the online sector.

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The report further reveals that the average selling price of smartphones in India has risen to US$274, reflecting a 4% increase year on year. The mass-budget smartphone category, priced between US$100 to US$200, saw a decrease of 21.9% compared to the previous year. In contrast, the premium segment, which includes smartphones priced between US$600 and US$800, saw a remarkable increase of 78.6%. This surge can be largely attributed to high demand for models such as Apple’s iPhone 16 and Samsung’s Galaxy A56. It’s noteworthy that 5G smartphones constituted a staggering 88% of total shipments, with 29 million devices shipped during this quarter, a rise from 69% in the same period in 2024.

As for offline channels, the report highlights their growing importance, as they have gained more traction than their online counterparts, experiencing a 10% year-on-year growth and capturing over 58% of the market share. In contrast, shipments via online channels fell by 21.1%. Vivo continues to be a leader in the offline market, closely followed by Oppo and Samsung. Meanwhile, Motorola and Samsung are currently leading the online marketplace.

The report also noted a significant increase in shipments of Qualcomm-powered smartphones, which grew by 40.8% year on year, with budget models like the Xiaomi Redmi 14C driving this growth. On the flip side, MediaTek saw its market share decline to 43.6% due to a 25.5% reduction in shipments.