Summary: India smartphone shipments fell 26% year-on-year to 35.8 million units in Q3 2026, according to Omdia. Samsung reclaimed the top position for the first time since Q1 2024, while Chinese OEMs saw their combined market share drop from 75% to 68%.
India’s smartphone market recorded its weakest third quarter in a decade, with shipments falling to 35.8 million units in Q3 2026. Likely caused as a result of higher prices, cautious consumer spending, and conservative inventory planning by vendors, according to research firm Omdia. Chinese OEMs were hit the hardest, losing ground to Samsung and Apple in the region.
Brand-Wise Breakdown
According to Omdia’s report, Samsung shipped 6.7 million units to reclaim the top position for the first time since Q1 2024, driven by its Galaxy A-series, S26 lineup, and foldables. Vivo followed at 6.4 million units but posted the sharpest decline among the top 5 at 34% year-on-year, hit by repeated price hikes and disrupted channel inventory.
OPPO came third with 4.9 million units, down 24%, as rising prices weighed on its core A-series volumes. Xiaomi shipped 4.7 million units, a 28% drop, after component costs forced trade-offs in pricing and configurations. Apple rounded out the top 5 with 3.9 million units, benefiting from channel stocking ahead of expected price hikes and steady demand for the iPhone 17.
Factors and Outlook
Chinese OEMs’ combined share fell to 68% from 75% a year ago. A later Diwali shifted offline festive inventory build-up from September to October, while the online channel lost steam due to fewer exclusive launches, fewer affordable options, and narrower promotional gaps.
Sanyam Chaurasia, Principal Analyst at Omdia, noted that September, a key period for inventory build-up ahead of major online sales events, saw weaker shipment momentum. Omdia expects shipments to decline by a low-single-digit percentage in 2027, with pricing pressures persisting through at least H1 2027.
Given the rising memory costs making budget devices less appealing to most users, this trend could continue even past 2027. But that is just a speculation on our part.
