India's smartphone market saw a robust rebound during the second quarter of 2025 with an 8% quarter-on-quarter rise in shipments and an 18% increase in total value, a report said on Wednesday. The April-June period was a marked turnaround from a sluggish start to the year.
Apple's iPhone 16 became the most-shipped smartphone in Q2, supported by strong promotion drives, easy EMI offers, and better retail strategies. The boom helped Apple achieve the highest-ever Q2 shipments in India.
Counterpoint Research's Monthly India Smartphone Tracker also pointed out that the revival of the market was mostly driven by a 33% increase in new product launches year-over-year. Aggressive marketing strategies and a good summer promotional sale response where brands pushed deeper discounts, bundled deals, and easier EMI options—especially in the mid-range and premium segments—were also contributing factors.
"India's Q2 2025 smartphone market recovery was complemented by a better macroeconomic backdrop that raised consumer confidence and expenditure. Retail inflation cooled to a six-year low, reducing pressure on household budgets, while the repo rate cuts by the central bank improved financing," said Prachir Singh, Senior Research Analyst at Counterpoint.
He further noted that tax advantages brought forward in the year increased levels of disposable incomes and stimulated greater discretionary spending. This change in consumer confidence underpinned a 37% year-on-year increase in the ultra-premium segment (over ₹45,000), the market's fastest-growing price band.
As a result, India’s smartphone market achieved its highest-ever Q2 performance in terms of value and reached a new all-time high in average selling price (ASP). Both Apple and Samsung capitalized on this uptrend through aggressive affordability programs such as trade-in schemes, zero-interest EMIs, and seasonal summer discounts that made high-end devices more accessible to aspirational buyers.
"Among OEMs and channels, during Q2 2025, both hosted multiple sales events, including parallel offline events, which provided some of the OEMs with a clean-up of current inventory and a push for fresh launches. Samsung was the second-largest brand following it, with its aggressive summer campaigns on its A and S series and growing traction of its N-1 flagship upgrades, which helped maintain momentum in the mid to premium segments," said Shubham Singh, Research Analyst.
Rising star Nothing posted a stunning 146% year-over-year growth in shipments, the quickest-growing brand for the sixth straight quarter—a record that has yet to be matched in the industry. The CMF Phone 2 Pro and the broadening retail presence of the company accounted for much of this growth.
At the same time, OnePlus registered a 75% increase in the ultra-premium segment on the back of its 13 and 13R performing well. Initial off-take of its newly released compact 13s model also helped, demonstrating the brand's continued growth in the premium space.
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