Apple hits record 28% value share in India as premium smartphones market surge
Apple has achieved its highest-ever 28% value share in India’s smartphone market, driven by strong iPhone 16 sales and a growing shift towards premium devices, Counterpoint Research reveals.
Tech giant Apple has recorded its highest-ever value share of 28 per cent in the Indian smartphone market, driven by a sharp rise in “premiumisation,” where consumers are increasingly opting for high-end devices, according to a report by Counterpoint Research.
The report highlights a major shift in the world’s second-largest smartphone market. While volume growth remains steady, the overall market value is expanding at a much faster pace as Indian consumers upgrade to more expensive smartphones.
iPhone 16 Series drives Apple’s record performance
According to Counterpoint’s latest insights, Apple held a 23 per cent value share in India in 2024. The strong performance of the iPhone 16 series, supported by aggressive financing schemes and trade-in offers, helped the Cupertino-based company achieve its highest-ever value share in the country.
“Apple led the market in 2025 in value terms with a 28 per cent 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 said.
Indian smartphone market sees faster value growth
India’s smartphone market grew 1 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in volume and 8 per cent YoY in value in 2025, underlining the impact of premiumisation on overall market growth.
In mainline retail, financing accounted for 40 per cent of total smartphone volume sales in 2025. In the premium segment, priced above Rs 30,000, nearly two-thirds of purchases were financed, highlighting the growing role of EMI options in enabling consumers to upgrade to premium devices.
Premium segment emerges as fastest-growing category
The report defines premiumisation as the rising consumer preference for higher-priced smartphones, with this segment growing faster than entry-level and budget categories that previously dominated the Indian market.
“The premium segment (above Rs 30,000) emerged as the fastest-growing in 2025 in volume terms, expanding 11 per cent YoY and accounting for 22 per cent of overall shipments, the highest share ever recorded. This drove the market’s highest-ever annual value growth of 8 per cent YoY,” said Counterpoint Research Director Tarun Pathak.
Pathak added that early 2026 market trends point to a more polarised structure, with premiumisation continuing to support value growth while entry-tier volumes remain under pressure.
Samsung leads foldables, Motorola and CMF post strong growth
While Apple dominated in value terms, Samsung maintained a strong presence in the Indian market. The South Korean giant led the foldable smartphone segment in 2025 with an 88 per cent volume share and 28 per cent YoY volume growth.
Samsung’s performance was supported by its wide portfolio across the mass market through its A, M and F series, along with steady premium traction from its S series lineup.
Motorola emerged as the fastest-growing smartphone brand in 2025 with 54 per cent YoY volume growth, while CMF was the fastest-growing sub-brand, recording 83 per cent YoY growth.
Smartphone market outlook for 2026
India’s smartphone market is expected to witness a single-digit volume decline in 2026, primarily due to rising memory and component costs that are likely to dampen demand, especially in the sub-Rs 15,000 segment.
At the same time, price hikes and a stronger premium focus by leading manufacturers are projected to push average selling prices up by 5–7 per cent year-on-year.