India's smartphone shipments declined 10% year-on-year (YoY) in the second quarter of 2026 (April–June), as record-high memory prices pushed up handset prices and dampened consumer demand.
According to Counterpoint Research, the decline marks the steepest drop for a June quarter in six years. The combined market share of Chinese smartphone brands, including Vivo, Oppo, OnePlus and Xiaomi, fell to its lowest level for a second calendar quarter since 2020. The decline was largely attributed to their higher exposure to the entry- and mid-tier segments, which were hit hardest by rising prices.
The report noted that shipments in the mass-market segment (sub-INR 15,000) plunged 45% YoY during the quarter. “India’s smartphone market remained under pressure during the quarter, as both demand and supply were adversely affected. On the supply side, persistent increases in memory and other component costs prompted almost every major OEM to implement multiple rounds of price hikes, resulting in an average smartphone price hike of around 15% by the end of the second quarter,” said Prachir Singh, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research.
Despite the broader slowdown, the ultra-premium segment (above INR 45,000) remained relatively resilient, supported by the growing adoption of financing options. These schemes reduced the upfront cost of premium smartphones, making them more accessible to consumers despite the overall increase in device prices.
Vivo (excluding iQOO) led India's smartphone market in Q2 2026 with an 18% market share, driven by strong momentum in the premium segment. Samsung followed closely with a 17.6% share, narrowing the gap with Vivo while recording 2% YoY growth. Oppo retained the third position with a 14% market share, followed by Xiaomi (including POCO) with 13%. Realme ranked fifth during the quarter. Apple's shipments declined 3% YoY in Q2 2026, taking its market share to 7%.
“We expect India’s smartphone market to remain under pressure through the rest of the year, as elevated memory and component costs continue to keep device prices high. Smartphone memory prices have increased nearly 4x since September 2025 and are expected to rise further, potentially reaching 5x in the coming months. As a result, we expect the market to decline by 13% YoY for the full year,” said Tarun Pathak, Research Director at Counterpoint Research.