The Indian smartphone market grew by 4% to 151 million units in 2024 and became Apple’s fourth largest market as rival Samsung recorded decline.
IDC noted that a strong first half of the year helped offset a slowdown in the latter months. While Q4 2024 marked the sixth consecutive quarter of growth, shipments dipped by 3% year-on-year to 36 million units.
Apple shipped 12 million iPhones in 2024, marking a 35% annual increase and securing a 10% market share - placing the company among the top five smartphone vendors in India for the first time. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 13 were the most popular models, together accounting for 6% of total shipments in the last quarter.
India is now Apple’s fourth-largest market, following the US, China, and Japan.
Vivo emerged as India’s top smartphone vendor, increasing shipments by 13.9% and capturing a 16.6% market share. Samsung fell to second place, experiencing a 19.4% decline in shipments and a 4% drop in market share to 13.2%.
Oppo climbed to third place, with shipments rising by 21%, securing a 12% market share. Xiaomi, meanwhile, saw flat shipments and shared third place with Oppo.
India’s average smartphone selling price (ASP) hit a record high of $259 in 2024, though its 2% increase was lower than the double-digit growth recorded in previous years.
Premium smartphones ($600–$800) grew by 34.9%, expanding their segment share to 4%. However, the entry-premium segment ($200–$400) saw the strongest growth, rising 35.3% year-on-year to claim 28% market share, up from 21% a year earlier
The market also saw a surge in 5G adoption, with 120 million 5G smartphones shipped in 2024, raising 5G’s market share from 55% to 79%. Feature phones, however, continued their decline, with shipments dropping 11% to 54 million units.
IDC India VP for Devices Research, Navkendar Singh, cautioned that a weakening Indian rupee could push ASPs higher, potentially restricting annual market growth to below 5% in 2025.
