iPhone 17 is selling very well in India, even if smartphone shipments overall are at 5-year low

Published 11 August 2026 · tech

The memory shortage is taking a toll on the Indian smartphone market. As phonemakers struggle to keep costs in check due to rising prices, sales

The memory shortage is taking a toll on the Indian smartphone market. As phonemakers struggle to keep costs in check due to rising prices, sales are taking a hit. So much so, that the Indian market just went through its lowest quarter in smartphone shipments in five years. Despite this decline, the iPhone 17 continues to be the most shipped smartphone. Read Full Story As per IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, India's smartphone shipments fell 11.1 per cent year on year to 33.2 million units in the April-June quarter of 2026. While in the combined first two quarters, the shipments stood at 64.2 million – a decline of 7.9 per cent – marking the lowest point in five years. “Demand hasn’t gone away, people are simply waiting longer to buy, and those planning an upgrade may want to move sooner rather than later, before prices go up further,” IDC senior research manager Upasana Joshi said. At the same time, the market value of shipments increased by 3.6 per cent year on year due to rising costs. In case you are unaware, several companies including Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and Nothing, have raised smartphone prices in recent weeks. iPhone 17 is the most shipped device The report says that the pressure was not spread evenly across the market. Average selling prices rose 14.4 per cent year on year to a record $315 (roughly Rs 30,000) in Q2 2026, while vendors cut back on discounts to protect margins.

Apple and Samsung were among the few brands to hold shipments broadly flat in the shrinking market. Apple also remained constrained by supply shortages on the iPhone 15, 16 and 17, though the iPhone 17 was the most-shipped device in both Q1 and Q2 of 2026. Apple stands sixth in the Indian market with a 8.5 per cent market share. Though Upasana Joshi believes that Apple may also take a hit soon, at least when it comes to older iPhones. She adds, "Apple faces a similar supply led squeeze, with older iPhones set to get costlier and no attractive festive discounts expected like in previous years. As a result, iPhone shipments are likely to decline mid-single digits in 2026 from 14.3 million units in 2025." Vivo remains market leader, Samsung close second Vivo remained the market leader in India, despite seeing a drop in market share from 19 per cent to 18.4 per cent year on year. Samsung saw a marginal increase in shipments and stood second with a 16.4 per cent share, up from 14.5 per cent. Oppo held third place with a 13.8 per cent share, while Xiaomi was fourth at 9.7 per cent and Realme fifth at 9.3 per cent. Among other brands, iQOO saw the biggest hit in shipments, down by 61 per cent, while Poco saw a decline of 12.3 per cent. As per the report, Chinese brands were hit harder because of their stronger presence in low-end and mass-budget segments, where higher memory and component costs have made things particularly difficult.