The smartphone market in India is growing steadily. According to the latest CyberMedia Research (CMR) report, India’s smartphone market registered a seven per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth in the third quarter of 2025. This growth, according to the report, is owing to the festive season push, wider 5G adoption, and a strong premium push by brands like Vivo, Samsung, and Apple.
The report underscores the rising prominence of 5G smartphones. They currently dominate the Indian market, accounting for 89 per cent of total shipments which is up by 16 per cent YoY. The report revealed that the biggest surprise came from the budget segment – 5G phones priced between Rs 6,000 and Rs 10,000 grew by a whopping 1600 per cent. This essentially signals that the ultra-affordable 5G is no longer a myth. When it comes to brands, Vivo led the 5G race with an 18 per cent share, followed by Samsung at 16 per cent.
“Democratisation of 5G connectivity, especially in the sub- Rs 10,000 segment, is reshaping upgrade trends,” said Menka Kumari, Senior Analyst at CMR, adding that aggressive promotional offers and easy EMIs boosted sales across both urban and rural India.
Vivo tops the market, Apple joins the elite club
According to the report, Vivo continued its winning streak, leading India’s overall smartphone market with an 18 per cent share. Its Y and T series models combined made up nearly half of its 5G shipments. Samsung followed with a 15 per cent share, while OPPO and Xiaomi both captured 13 per cent. For the first time ever, Apple entered the top five, grabbing 9 per cent of shipments owing to strong demand for older iPhone 15 and 16 models.
When it comes to value, however, Apple ruled India’s smartphone market with a commanding 30 per cent share, followed by Samsung at 22 per cent. As per the report, this suggests India’s growing appetite for premium and ultra-premium devices, a segment that grew 45 per cent YoY for phones priced above Rs 50,000, and a staggering 280 per cent for those beyond Rs 1 lakh.
How did brands perform?
Samsung saw 151 per cent YoY growth in the ultra-premium category, driven by the Galaxy S and Z series. While OPPO grew 8 per cent YoY, powered by its refreshed K and A series that balanced affordability and premium appeal, Xiaomi continued to struggle, down 18 per cent YoY due to fewer launches and a weak offline presence. On the other hand, Motorola surged 57 per cent YoY, riding on strong 5G offerings and an expanded retail footprint.
Surprisingly, Lava emerged as a local success story, recording 114 per cent growth in sub – Rs 10,000 5G phones category. Meanwhile, MediaTek led the chipset race with a 44 per cent market share, while Qualcomm dominated the premium segment with 36 per cent.
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According to the report, feature phones are fading rapidly, as they continue to be on the decline, with shipments down 14 per cent YoY. Itel (42 per cent) and Lava (29 per cent) remained leaders in the 2G space, but both faced shipment drops amid the steady migration to smartphones.
CMR expects India’s smartphone market to maintain steady single-digit growth in 2025, driven by 5G upgrades and the ongoing premiumisation trend.
“The festive and year-end sales will accelerate shipments, with premium and uber-premium models from Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus remaining key growth engines,” said Pankaj Jadli, Analyst at CMR.
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