3 weeks ago
India smartphone market value rises 1.7% despite 11% shipment decline
Imagine a big market where people in India buy phones.
In the second quarter of 2026, fewer phones were sold than a year before.
Even so, the whole phone market in India was worth more money.
That is because people started buying fancier and more expensive phones.
The average phone price went up to a record high of $315.
One big reason is that memory chips used in phones became more expensive.
Because of that, the cheapest phones lost many buyers, while mid-range and premium phones became more popular.
Well-known brands like Apple and Samsung kept selling well.
Experts think the market could start recovering soon.
Cheaper memory chips, easy payment plans, and festival season shopping may help.
India's smartphone market value rose 1.7% year-on-year in Q2 2026 despite shipments falling 11% to 33.2 million units.
The average selling price hit a record $315, up 14.4% year-on-year, amid an ongoing global memory chip shortage.
The $400-$600 price segment was the strongest performer, with shipments up 60.3% and market share nearly doubling to 8.6%.
Sub-$100 shipments plunged 74.3% year-on-year, shrinking that segment's market share from 15.6% to 4.5%.
Samsung's market share rose to 16.4% and Apple's to 8.5%, while offline channels gained share as online shipments fell 19.8%.
- Who
- Indian consumers, smartphone brands such as Apple and Samsung, and market research firm IDC.
- What
- India's smartphone market value rose 1.7% year-on-year in Q2 2026 even as shipments declined 11% to 33.2 million units, as buyers shifted toward higher-priced premium devices.
- Where
- India; the report was released in New Delhi.
- When
- Second quarter of 2026; the report was released on Tuesday.
- Why
- An ongoing global memory chip shortage raised component costs, pushing up prices and driving consumers toward premium and upper-mid segments, which lifted market value despite lower volumes.
Key facts
- Market value growth (Q2 2026)
- +1.7% year-on-year
- Shipments (Q2 2026)
- 33.2 million units, down 11% year-on-year
- Average selling price
- Record $315, up 14.4% year-on-year
- First-half 2026 shipments
- 64.2 million units, down 7.9% year-on-year
- Best-performing segment
- $400-$600, shipments up 60.3%; share nearly doubled to 8.6%
- Sub-$100 segment
- Shipments down 74.3%; share fell from 15.6% to 4.5%
- Mass-budget segment ($100-$200)
- 46.8% of the market
- Data source
- IDC analysis
Quotes
Aditya Rampal
Senior Research Analyst at IDC
“Rising memory costs had pushed smartphone prices higher, with financing options likely to play an important role in sustaining affordability during the festive season”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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