The success of the iPhone 16 series, coupled with aggressive financing schemes and trade-in offers, has pushed the Cupertino-based company to its highest-ever value share in the country.

Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters

Tech giant Apple has recorded its highest-ever value share of 28 per cent in the Indian smartphone market, driven by a surging “premiumisation” trend where consumers are increasingly opting for high-end devices, according to a report by Counterpoint Research.

The report highlighted a significant shift in the world’s second-largest smartphone market, noting that while volume growth remains steady, the total market value is expanding at a much faster clip as Indian buyers trade up to more expensive models.

According to Counterpoint’s latest insights, Apple had a 23 per cent value share in India in 2024.

The success of the iPhone 16 series, coupled with aggressive financing schemes and trade-in offers, has pushed the Cupertino-based company to 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 noted.

Growth story of India’s smartphone market

India’s smartphone market grew 1 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in volume and 8 per cent YoY in value in 2025.

In mainline retail, financing accounted for 40 per cent of total smartphone volume sales in 2025.

Which is the premium segment

In the premium segment, priced above Rs 30,000, nearly two-thirds of purchases were financed, reflecting the growing role of EMI options in enabling consumers to upgrade to higher-end devices.

The report defines premiumisation as the increasing consumer preference, with the segment growing faster than the entry-level and budget segments, which were previously the primary drivers of the Indian market.

“The premium segment (> 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, driving the market’s highest-ever annual value growth of 8 per cent YoY,” Counterpoint Research Director Tarun Pathak said.

Pathak further added that market dynamics point to a more polarised market structure in early 2026, as premiumisation continues to support value growth while entry-tier volumes remain under pressure.

How other smartphone makers fared

While Apple leads in value, South Korean giant Samsung maintained a strong presence, leading the foldable smartphone segment in 2025 with 88 per cent volume share and 28 per cent YoY volume growth.

Samsung was also backed by its diverse portfolio across the mass market via its A, M and F series, alongside steady premium traction driven by its S series.

Motorola (54 per cent YoY) was the fastest-growing brand in 2025 by volume, while CMF (83 per cent YoY) was the fastest-growing sub-brand.

Future of smartphone market in India

India’s smartphone market is forecast to experience a single-digit volume decline in 2026, driven by rising memory and component costs that curb demand, particularly in the sub-Rs 15,000 segment.

At the same time, price increases and a stronger premium focus by leading manufacturers are set to raise average selling prices by 5-7 per cent year-on-year.