Samsung, Apple gain share as Chinese brands slide; India smartphone shipments fall 11.1% in Q2 CY26

Samsung and Apple emerged as the relative winners in India’s smartphone market in the second quarter of 2026, gaining market share as Chinese brands faced sharper declines amid a prolonged memory chip shortage. Overall smartphone shipments in India fell 11.1% year-on-year to 33.2 million units, with rising component costs squeezing demand, particularly at the lower end of the market.

According to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Samsung’s market share rose to 16.4% in Q2 CY26 from 14.5% a year earlier, while Apple’s share increased to 8.5% from 7.5%. Both brands broadly held their shipment volumes steady even as the overall market contracted. In contrast, Vivo, OPPO, Xiaomi and realme recorded shipment declines of 13.9%, 8.5%, 10% and 14.2%, respectively.

Memory crunch hits entry-level smartphones hardest

The divergence comes as memory costs continue to put pressure on smartphone prices and affordability. India’s average selling price jumped 14.4% year-on-year to a record $315 in Q2, even as first-half shipments fell 7.9% to 64.2 million units, the lowest first-half volume in five years. Market value, however, grew 1.7% in Q2, showing how higher prices are offsetting the decline in volumes.

The pressure was most acute in the entry-level segment. Shipments of smartphones priced below $100 plunged 74.3% YoY, reducing the segment’s share from 15.6% to just 4.5%. At the other end, the $400-$600 mid-premium segment grew 60.3%, with its share almost doubling to 8.6% from 4.8%.

The mass-budget $100-$200 segment remained the largest, accounting for 46.8% of the market, with shipments broadly flat. IDC said consumers priced out of entry-level devices are increasingly moving into higher price bands, while premium and upper-mid segments have remained relatively resilient.

Samsung, Apple gain ground as Chinese brands retreat

Vivo remained the largest smartphone brand in India with an 18.4% share, although its shipments fell 13.9%. Samsung strengthened its position to 16.4%, followed by OPPO at 13.8%, Xiaomi at 9.7% and realme at 9.3%. Apple’s share rose to 8.5%, while Motorola held 8.2%.

IDC said Apple and Samsung were the only two brands to hold shipments broadly flat year-on-year, while Chinese brands were more exposed because of their traditional strength in the low-end and mass-market segments. Apple also continued to lead the market by value, with a 27% share, up 22.2% YoY.

The pricing environment is also leaving brands with less room to use discounts to stimulate demand. Aditya Rampal, senior research analyst, Devices Research, IDC Asia Pacific, said the 14.4% increase in ASP marked a sharp reversal from last year, when early festive discounts and offers were used to build momentum.

“Heading into the festive season, financing options will be key to keeping affordability within reach,” Rampal said, adding that product differentiation in the mid-premium segment would also be important to sustain demand.

Online channel loses ground as H2 outlook turns tougher

The shift in consumer behaviour is also visible across sales channels. Online smartphone shipments fell 19.8% YoY, reducing the channel’s share to 41.9% from 46.4%. Offline shipments, meanwhile, declined only 3.6%, lifting their share to 58.1% from 53.6% as brands leaned more heavily on physical retail.

IDC expects the downturn to deepen in the second half of 2026, with shipments projected to decline by more than 15%, taking full-year volumes to around 128-130 million units. The research firm expects financing, exchange offers and affordability-led schemes to become increasingly important as brands have less scope for festive price cuts.

“Demand hasn’t gone away, people are simply waiting longer to buy,” said Upasana Joshi, senior research manager, Devices Research, IDC Asia/Pacific. She said Apple too faces a supply-led squeeze, with iPhone shipments expected to decline mid-single digits in 2026 from 14.3 million units in 2025, amid higher prices and limited festive discounts.