In a noteworthy turn for the Indian smartphone market, Apple has recorded its best year yet in the region, even as overall sales remained relatively flat. While the entire smartphone market saw a slight dip of 1% with 154.2 million units sold in 2025 compared to 2024, Apple experienced a significant surge in its shipments.

According to reports, Apple's smartphone sales in India grew by a remarkable 28% in 2025. This growth is in stark contrast to some of its competitors, with Samsung's shipments declining by 11% and Xiaomi facing an even steeper drop of 26%. This shift indicates a changing landscape in the Indian smartphone market, which has long been dominated by Android devices.

The iPhone 16 emerged as the most popular smartphone in India in 2025. Reports indicate that Apple sold around 6.5 million units of the iPhone 16 in the first 11 months of the year. The iPhone 16 was the highest-shipped device in India for the second consecutive quarter. Furthermore, the company managed to secure a spot in the top five best-selling smartphones of the year for the iPhone 15, launched in 2023. The success of the iPhone 16 has been attributed to strong demand across both metropolitan and smaller cities, boosted by festive promotions and improved retail execution. The iPhone 16 was also a top deal during Flipkart's Big Billion Day sale.

This performance has allowed Apple to capture 10% of the Indian smartphone market with 15.1 million units shipped. While this places them fifth overall, the growth trajectory suggests a potential for further gains in the coming year, especially if the iPhone 17e manages to strike a balance between premium features and affordability.

While Apple saw considerable growth, the overall leader in the Indian smartphone market for 2025 was Vivo, with a 21% market share based on 32.1 million shipments. Samsung followed with 15% of the market share, while Oppo and Xiaomi both held 13%.

Despite Apple's strong performance in 2025, the final quarter of the year saw a slight decrease in iPhone shipments compared to Q4 2024. While Vivo and Oppo experienced growth in Q4 2025, Samsung and Xiaomi also faced declines alongside Apple.

Looking ahead to 2026, analysts anticipate a potential decline in overall smartphone shipments in India, citing higher prices and incremental value upgrades as contributing factors. It remains to be seen whether Apple can sustain its growth momentum in the face of these challenges and stiff competition from other manufacturers.