India's smartphone market had its worst quarter in ten years. Between July and September 2026, shipments fell 20% from a year earlier, says Counterpoint Research. It is the lowest third-quarter figure in a decade. Costlier memory chips pushed up phone prices, so buyers held back. Brands also cut their stock before the festive season. Rising Prices Hit Affordable Smartphones Hardest Phones priced under Rs. 20,000 fell 47% from last year. Price hikes moved many models into higher price groups. Buyers who watch every rupee chose to wait, and many kept using their old phones for longer. Brands cared more about profit and stock than about selling more units. Some now plan cheaper models with fewer features. Counterpoint expects the market to shrink about 13% in 2026. More price hikes after the festive season could hurt demand even more. Samsung Reclaims Market Leadership Samsung is back at number one for the first time in nine quarters. It held a 17% share, helped by strong sales of its Galaxy A series. It was also the only top-five brand to grow from a year ago. Vivo came second with 16%, not counting iQOO. OPPO and Xiaomi, which includes POCO, each held 12%. OPPO gained in the mid-range and premium groups. Xiaomi did well in the Rs. 10,001 to Rs. 20,000 range. Ai+ grew the fastest, up 306%, thanks to more models and more ads. Smartphone Market Faces a Difficult 2027 The next year looks tough. Part costs remain high, and buyers are careful with money. Counterpoint says people may keep their phones longer into 2027. Brands may launch cheaper 4G phones to keep prices down. Premium phones may offer better growth. Exchange deals, store discounts, and no-cost EMI could help buyers cope. The task for brands is simple to state but hard to do: keep profits steady while keeping phones affordable.
India's Smartphone Sales Hit a 10-Year Low
