NEW DELHI: Fifth-generation (5G)-enabled smartphone shipments rose by 12% year-on-year in India in 2025, accounting for 88% of the total volumes, driven by the availability of chipsets for entry-to-premium segments and nationwide coverage of 5G, according to the latest report released by CyberMedia Research (CMR) on Monday.
“Despite short-term headwinds from post-festive demand normalisation and rising component and memory costs, the market demonstrated strong underlying resilience,” CMR said. It noted that 5G has moved decisively from a premium feature to a market default.
The 5G smartphone segment was led by Vivo with a 19% share, as per the report. However, the ₹6,000–8,000 price segment drove the majority of 5G smartphone volumes, where shipments surged over 1900% year-on-year, fueled by aggressive pricing, the report showed.
Menka Kumari, senior analyst (industry intelligence group), CMR, said, “CY2025 was a year of recalibration rather than contraction for India’s smartphone market. While overall volumes softened marginally, the fundamentals remained strong.”
The rapid scaling of affordable 5G, resilient premium demand, and the rise of challenger brands point to a market that is evolving structurally, not weakening, Kumari added.
Smartphone shipments in the entire calendar year 2025 (CY2025) declined marginally by 1%, compared to 2024, CMR data showed. Vivo emerged as the market leader in 2025 with a 19% share, followed by Samsung (16%), Oppo (13%), Xiaomi (13%), and Realme (10%).
The Vivo T4X, Y19, Y29, and Y39 models accounted for 34% of the brand’s 5G shipments, reflecting successful mass-market positioning, while Oppo’s performance was driven by the A3X, A5 Pro, and A5X models, and a refreshed portfolio that catered to the value-for-money (₹7,000-₹25,000) and premium (>₹25,000) segments, according to the research firm.
By contrast, Xiaomi saw the steepest decline in its shipments at 27% year-on-year, which reduced its market share from 18% in 2024 to 13% in 2023. Realme, too, saw a 10% annual decline, followed by Samsung, whose shipments also fell by 9% during this period. Apple delivered 25% year-on-year growth in India, reaching a nearly 9% market share. The base iPhone 16 accounted for 47% of 16-series volumes, underscoring strong preference for the value-led base model over Pro/Plus variants. iPhone 16 and 15 series together contributed 81% of CY2025 shipments, while the iPhone 17 series at 10% showed early traction for new premium launches.
MediaTek led India’ssmartphone chipset market with 45% market share. Qualcomm led the premium smartphone segment (>₹25,000) with a 34% share.
CMR now expects the Indian smartphone market to witness a single-digit decline in CY2026, with demand recovery expected through the year as pricing pressures ease.
“In CY2026, elevated component and memory costs are expected to keep pricing under pressure, leading to more measured purchasing behaviour through the year. Consumers have not stepped away from the smartphone market; instead, they are becoming increasingly selective, extending device lifecycles and upgrading only when the value proposition is compelling,” said Pankaj Jadli, analyst (industry intelligence group) at CMR.
