NEW DELHI: India’s smartphone shipments (sales) declined 10% year-on-year in the June quarter, the sharpest quarterly decline in three years since the January-March period of 2023. The impact was most severe in the mass-market segment, where sales of smartphones priced below Rs 15,000 plunged 45% from a year earlier. The sharp slowdown hurt Chinese smartphone brands, which remain heavily dependent on entry- and mid-range devices, dragging their combined market share to its lowest level for an April-June quarter since 2020, according to Counterpoint Research.Vivo retained the top position with a 17.8% share, despite a double-digit decline in sales, while Oppo held on to third place with 13.6%. Xiaomi, including Poco, slipped to fourth with a combined share of 13.4%, while Realme was fifth at 10%. Counterpoint said Xiaomi, including Poco, and Realme both recorded fall in sales as repeated price increases across their affordable portfolios weakened consumer demand. Oppo, meanwhile, relied on stronger demand for devices priced above Rs 20,000 to cushion the slowdown.“As most Chinese brands are heavily exposed to the entry- and mid-tier segments, their overall market share fell to its lowest level for a second calendar quarter since 2020,” Counterpoint senior analyst Prachir Singh said.The research firm attributed the slowdown to record-high memory prices, which have forced manufacturers to raise smartphone prices multiple times this year. Average smartphone prices increased about 15% by end of the June quarter, while inflationary pressures and weak discretionary spending prompted consumers to delay upgrades. Smartphone memory prices have risen nearly four-fold since Sept 2025, sharply increasing manufacturing costs and forcing brands to pass on higher prices to consumers.To offset the slowdown, several brands have expanded their 4G portfolios in the affordable segment, betting that value-conscious buyers are prioritising lower prices over 5G connectivity until component costs ease.The weakness at the lower end contrasted with continued resilience in the premium market. Smartphones priced above Rs 45,000 remained relatively stable as financing schemes, including NBFC and credit card EMIs, reduced the upfront cost of expensive devices. Counterpoint said financing accounted for more than half of mainline smartphone sales during the quarter.Samsung was the only top-five smartphone brand to register shipment growth during the quarter, rising 2% year-on-year to narrow the gap with Vivo and increase its market share to 17.6%. Apple’s shipments declined 3% year-on-year, with its market share at 7%, as strong demand for the iPhone 17 series was offset by supply constraints and inventory shortages across online and offline channels.
