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India's Smartphone Surge: How 5G and Premium Phones Drive 2025 Growth

India's smartphone market is poised for moderate growth in 2025 with single-digit shipment increases. The market momentum is being driven by widespread 5G adoption and increasing consumer preference for premium devices. Apple currently leads the market by value while Vivo dominates the 5G smartphone segment. The affordable 5G segment has seen explosive growth, particularly in the Rs 6,000-10,000 price range.

Key Points: Indian Smartphone Market 2025 Growth Led by 5G Premium Phones

  • India's smartphone market grew 7% YoY driven by festive demand and 5G adoption
  • Apple leads market by value with 30% share followed by Samsung at 22%
  • 5G smartphones in Rs 6,000-10,000 price band surged over 1,600% YoY
  • Feature phone segment declined 14-24% as users transition to smartphones
2 min read

Indian smartphone market set to witness moderate growth in 2025, 5G leads

India's smartphone market sees moderate 2025 growth with 5G phones dominating 89% of shipments. Apple leads by value, Vivo tops 5G segment as premiumization accelerates.

Indian smartphone market set to witness moderate growth in 2025, 5G leads
"The democratisation of 5G connectivity, especially in the sub-Rs 10,000 segment, is reshaping consumer upgrade trends - CMR Report"

New Delhi, Nov 8

The Indian smartphone market is set to witness moderate growth in 2025, with shipments growing in single digits, according to a new report, adding that the market is poised for sustained momentum driven by 5G upgrades, rising premiumisation and growing consumer demand for connected device ecosystems.

According to CyberMedia Research (CMR), India’s smartphone market grew 7 per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth, driven by festive cheer, accelerated 5G adoption, and a strong premium push led by Apple, Vivo, and Motorola.

Apple led India’s smartphone market by value in Q3 2025 with 30 per cent share, and Samsung followed with 22 per cent, together accounting for over a bulk of the market. Vivo led the 5G smartphone market with a 18 per cent market share, followed by Samsung at 16 per cent.

“The ongoing festive and year-end sales will further accelerate shipments, with premium and uber-premium segments remaining key growth engines, led by flagship models from Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus,” said Pankaj Jadli, Analyst–Industry Intelligence Group at CMR.

5G smartphones accounted for 89 per cent of total shipments in the quarter, up 16 per cent YoY. Interestingly, 5G smartphones in the Rs 6,000–Rs 10,000 price band surged over 1,600 per cent YoY, underscoring rising demand for affordable 5G.

The democratisation of 5G connectivity, especially in the sub-Rs 10,000 segment, is reshaping consumer upgrade trends and will steer the next wave of smartphone growth in India.

“The festive season, along with aggressive promotional campaigns and easy EMI schemes, drove consumer upgrades reshaping India’s value-for-money and affordable 5G smartphone segment. While premium smartphones continued double-digit growth, feature phones declined as users increasingly transitioned to smartphones,” said Menka Kumari, Senior Analyst–Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR.

In Q3 2025, the 2G feature phone segment declined 14 per cent YoY, while 4G feature phones declined sharply by 24 per cent YoY, said the report.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Apple leading by value shows how premium segment is growing in India. But I wish Indian brands like Micromax and Lava could compete better in this space. We need more homegrown champions!
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Arjun K
1600% growth in affordable 5G segment is mind-blowing! This is exactly what India needs - technology becoming accessible to everyone. Jio and Airtel's 5G rollout has been a game changer.
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Sarah B
While the growth numbers look good, I'm concerned about e-waste. With so many people upgrading to 5G, what happens to all the old phones? We need better recycling policies.
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Vikram M
The EMI schemes during festive season really helped middle-class families like mine upgrade to better phones. Got a Samsung 5G on easy installments - perfect for my small business needs 📱
M
Michael C
Interesting to see feature phone decline by 24%. My parents in village finally switched to smartphones last month. Digital literacy programs are working well across India.

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