Canalys: India's smartphone shipments increased 7% year-on-year in the second quarter to 39 million units

The Zhitong Finance App learned that Canalys data shows that India's smartphone market recovered after being sluggish at the beginning of the year. In the second quarter of 2025, Indian smartphone shipments increased 7% year-on-year to 39 million units. The increase was mainly due to the intensive release of new products by manufacturers in the second quarter. Previously, manufacturers generally adopted a conservative strategy in the first quarter due to high inventory levels. Despite multiple challenges such as weak seasonal demand, extreme weather, US tariff friction, and geopolitical uncertainty, the market has shown strong resilience.

vivo (excluding iQOO) is at the top of the list with 8.1 million units shipped and 21% market share. Samsung ranked second with 6.2 million units and 16% market share. OPPO (excluding OnePlus) shipped 5 million units, surpassing Xiaomi (01810), which also shipped 5 million units by a narrow margin, and rose to third place. Realme ranked fifth with 3.6 million units shipped.

Sanyam Chaurasia, chief analyst at Canalys, said: “With strong channel partnerships, vivo's new products received widespread channel recognition in the second quarter, while competitors adopted a more cautious strategy. The V50 series is popular in first-tier and second-tier cities through large-scale retail and wedding marketing campaigns, while the Y series relies on deep distribution and promotion to maintain strong momentum in small to medium cities and semi-urban markets. The T-Series product portfolio is richer and growing steadily on e-commerce platforms.”

Chaurasia added, “OPPO also performed steadily in the second quarter. The A5 series led to continued growth in the offline market, while the K13 gradually gained attention on e-commerce platforms. In contrast, other manufacturers mainly adopt selective marketing strategies in the context of cautious overall market sentiment. Samsung, on the other hand, used its financing capabilities in the middle and high-end markets, especially the A36 and A56 series, to expand its market share through 18 and 24 zero-interest installment plans. Despite the year-on-year decline, Xiaomi relied on Redmi 14C 5G and A5 to drive second-quarter shipments, while increasing brand attention through targeted exterior upgrades to the Note 14 series. Realme declined year over year, and its online performance was weak, but offline shipments increased, driven by models such as the C73, C75, and 14X. Together, these three models contributed 35% of its shipments.”

Chaurasia said, “Fierce competition from outside the top five manufacturers is reshaping the Indian smartphone market pattern, and more high-end brands and new players who focus on design are constantly adjusting their market style. In the second quarter of 2025, Apple ranked sixth. The iPhone 16 series accounted for more than 55% of its shipments, and the iPhone 15 and 13 also maintained strong demand in different price ranges. The popularity of the iPhone 16e declined after its launch, mainly because its single-camera design and Apple Intelligence function fell short of expectations, causing questions from consumers. Motorola, ranked 7th, is speeding up the expansion of offline channels to small and medium-sized cities after steady growth in first-tier cities. Infinix was favored for its bold product design and marketing activities aimed at game and content creator groups, surpassing TECNO as the main brand of Communication in India, accounting for 45% of the group's 1.8 million unit shipments. Nothing, on the other hand, continued its explosive growth, with a sharp increase of 229% over the previous year. Its main models include the CMF Phone 2 Pro, Phone 3a, and Phone 3a Pro.”

Chaurasia continued: “With limited natural demand, the performance of the Indian smartphone market in the second half of 2025 will rely more on channel execution rather than product launches. Major brands are actively using channel incentive programs to target inventory with distributors and retailers in advance to prepare for the upcoming Indian holiday season. These incentives include high-value awards — from trips abroad to car rewards — linked to sales performance during rainy season promotions, festivals such as Durga Puja (Durga Puja), and Diwali (Diwali). Retail infrastructure upgrades are also accelerating, as reflected in optimized booth settings, more structured shelf displays, and stricter quarterly assessment targets for promoter participation and store execution. At the same time, the brand is also vigorously promoting the affordability of high-end models and expanding long-term installment plans, especially for mid-range and high-end products. While these steps are expected to boost channel confidence and boost short-term shipments, Canalys anticipates a slight decline in Indian shipments throughout 2025 due to ongoing structural demand challenges.”