Apple’s iPhone had a fantastic year in India, despite a flat overall smartphone market, with increasing sales and market share growth.
According to Tarun Pathak from Counterpoint Research, the iPhone’s success came from its exciting products and more people wanting to buy them. Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, mentioned that they made a record amount of money in India last October. The company also noted that more people in India are using their iPhones, not just new buyers.
Apple is expanding in India by increasing local manufacturing and opening more stores. Last month, they launched their fifth store in Noida. They are also introducing new services, like the Apple Creator Studio, which offers creative apps for a lower price than in the U.S.
While Apple did well, the overall smartphone market did not grow. For four years now, it has stayed around 152 million units. Experts say this is due to longer times between phone upgrades and more people choosing refurbished phones. Yet, the premium segment is growing, with devices over ₹30,000 becoming more popular.
Apple is not among the top three smartphone brands in India. Vivo leads with 23% of the market, followed by Samsung at 15% and Xiaomi at 13%. Even though the overall shipments are flat, there is still a growing demand for premium smartphones.
Looking ahead, the smartphone market might drop by 2% in 2026, which means fewer budget phones will sell. However, prices for phones might still rise, showing that premium devices will continue to grow in popularity.