India's Smartphone Shipments Fall to Lowest Level in a Decade

what happened

Smartphone shipments in India fell 26% year on year to 35.8 million units in the quarter ended September 2026, the lowest level in a decade, according to research firm Omdia, as reported by Moody's. The drop came despite the start of the festive season, as high prices caused by shortages of memory and other components, along with cautious consumer spending, weighed on replacement demand.

Omdia principal analyst Sanyam Chaurasia said the market is shifting from online-led growth to more selective, channel-driven sales. Chinese brands' combined share fell to 68% in Q3 2026 from 75% a year earlier. Samsung regained the top position for the first time since Q1 2024, and Apple moved into the top five, ahead of Realme. Vivo dropped to second place, with the steepest decline among the top five brands at 34% year on year.

Omdia expects the market to shrink further in 2027, with pricing pressures likely to persist through at least the first half of the year.

why it matters

For the market, this points to weak demand in the mass segment. Chinese manufacturers, which depend more heavily on budget models, were hit hardest, while Samsung and Apple benefited from premium lineups and financing programs, a difference that could show up in their regional results.

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