India Smartphone Shipments Rise 3% in Q3 2025; Vivo Leads Market: Report

India's smartphone market experienced a 3% year-on-year increase in Q3 2025, with shipments reaching 48.4 million units, according to Omdia's latest research. This growth was attributed to new product launches and retail incentives ahead of the festive season. Vendors stocked up in anticipation of high demand during this period.

Vivo, excluding iQOO, maintained its lead by shipping 9.7 million units, capturing a 20% market share. Samsung followed with 6.8 million units and a 14% share. Xiaomi narrowly surpassed OPPO (excluding OnePlus), both shipping 6.5 million units each. Apple re-entered the top five with 4.9 million units, driven by demand in smaller cities.

Market Dynamics and Strategies

Sanyam Chaurasia, Principal Analyst at Omdia, noted that the momentum in Q3 was largely sustained through incentive-led channel pushes rather than organic consumer recovery. Vendors shifted marketing budgets towards impactful retail incentive programs offering rewards like cash bonuses and dealer contests to motivate distributors and retailers to stock up before the festive season.

vivo's success was attributed to a balanced portfolio and aggressive retail strategies, including a strong promoter network. The T-series gained traction online early in the festive period, while the V60 and Y-series expanded across large-format and rural retail outlets.

Samsung saw increased interest in mid-premium models like the Snapdragon-powered S24 and S25 FE but faced challenges in entry-level segments. OPPO's volumes were boosted by a multi-layered festive channel program centered around the F31 series.

Emerging Trends and Future Outlook

Outside the top five brands, Motorola achieved record shipments of 4 million units, marking a 53% year-on-year increase due to the G-series and Edge 60 expansion offline. Nothing grew by 66%, driven by CMF Phone 2 Pro and Phone 3a sales as it repositioned CMF as India's first locally headquartered sub-brand through its partnership with Optimus.

Apple recorded its highest-ever shipments in India during Q3, securing a 10% market share. Smaller cities contributed significantly to this growth through aspirational demand and aggressive festive offers. Older iPhone models like the iPhone 16s and 15s led major shipments under discount-led upgrades, while the iPhone 17 base model gained traction supported by existing iPhone users upgrading from models between iPhone 12 to iPhone 15.

Despite early momentum, Chaurasia expressed concerns about sustaining gains into year-end due to limited smartphone-specific demand recovery. Urban consumers are delaying upgrades due to employment uncertainties and rising cost sensitivity despite better product availability and financing options.

Challenges Ahead

The sell-out traction lags behind shipment growth, raising concerns about inventory build-up in Q4 after November. Rural demand has remained relatively stable but is insufficient to offset cautious urban sentiment.

The full-year forecast for 2025 anticipates a modest decline reflecting a fragile recovery cycle sensitive to economic conditions and channel correction dynamics.

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