iPhone 16 tops India smartphone sales in 2025 as buying patterns shift: Report

Apple’s iPhone 16 base model emerged as India’s top-selling smartphone in 2025, signalling a shift away from budget devices. A Counterpoint Research report cites strong brand appeal, EMI-led affordability and record Apple revenues in India.

Mumbai: Indian consumers’ smartphone buying patterns showed a marked shift moving away from the traditional budget‑segment dominance, as Apple Inc.’s iPhone 16 base variant emerged as the top‑selling smartphone model in 2025, a report has said.

Counterpoint Research report said that India recorded about 154 million smartphone shipments in 2025, of which the iPhone 16 base model accounted for roughly 6.16 million units, representing about 4 per cent of the overall market by volume.

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The iPhone 16, launched in September 2024, is priced at around Rs 71,000 for the base variant.

Around 60 per cent of premium smartphones in India are now purchased on equated monthly instalment (EMI) plans, Counterpoint Research found

The device’s strong selling in India is due to Apple’s brand appeal and financing options such as EMIs that have broadened affordability, further supported by exchange offers.

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently has said that the Cupertino-based company set a quarterly revenue record during the October-December period in India.

India has seen Apple production and exports touching new highs with each quarter.

For the December quarter, Apple set all-time revenue records in the Americas, Europe, Japan, and the rest of Asia Pacific.

“We continued to gain momentum in emerging markets, which includes India, where we saw strong double-digit revenue growth,” said Cook during the earnings call late on Thursday (US time) adding that the company has plans to open another store in Mumbai soon.

Responding to an analyst, the Apple CEO said they did set a quarterly revenue record during the December quarter in India.

“India is the second-largest smartphone market in the world and the fourth largest PC market,” he said, adding that the company “set quarterly revenue records on iPhone and Mac and iPad, and an all-time revenue record on services”.

Kevan Parekh, Apple’s CFO, said iPhone revenue was $85.3 billion, up 23 per cent year-over-year, driven by the iPhone 17 family.