5G and premium smartphones to power India’s market growth in 2025

India’s smartphone market is projected to grow moderately in 2025, driven by 5G adoption, premiumisation, and strong festive demand. According to CMR, 5G phones now account for 89% of shipments, with affordable models fueling the next wave of growth

New Delhi: The Indian smartphone market is expected to witness moderate growth in 2025, with shipments projected to increase in single digits, according to a new report. The report notes that the market is poised for sustained momentum, driven by 5G upgrades, rising premiumization, and growing consumer demand for connected device ecosystems.

According to CyberMedia Research (CMR), India’s smartphone market grew 7 percent year-over-year (YoY), driven by festive cheer, accelerated 5G adoption, and a strong premium push led by Apple, Vivo, and Motorola.

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Apple led India’s smartphone market by value in Q3 2025 with 30 per cent share, and Samsung followed with 22 per cent, together accounting for over a bulk of the market. Vivo led the 5G smartphone market with an 18 per cent market share, followed by Samsung at 16 per cent.

“The ongoing festive and year-end sales will further accelerate shipments, with premium and uber-premium segments remaining key growth engines, led by flagship models from Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus,” said Pankaj Jadli, Analyst–Industry Intelligence Group at CMR.

5G smartphones accounted for 89 per cent of total shipments in the quarter, up 16 per cent YoY. Interestingly, 5G smartphones in the Rs 6,000–Rs 10,000 price band surged over 1,600 per cent YoY, underscoring rising demand for affordable 5G.

The democratisation of 5G connectivity, especially in the sub-Rs 10,000 segment, is reshaping consumer upgrade trends and will steer the next wave of smartphone growth in India.

“The festive season, along with aggressive promotional campaigns and easy EMI schemes, drove consumer upgrades, reshaping India’s value-for-money and affordable 5G smartphone segment. While premium smartphones continued double-digit growth, feature phones declined as users increasingly transitioned to smartphones,” said Menka Kumari, Senior Analyst–Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR.

In Q3 2025, the 2G feature phone segment declined 14 per cent YoY, while 4G feature phones declined sharply by 24 per cent YoY, said the report.