Smartphone shipments in India declined 3 percent year-on-year (YoY) in the first quarter of this year, marking the weakest first quarter in the past six years, according to Counterpoint Research’s Monthly India Smartphone Tracker report. The ongoing memory price pressures, price hikes across segments, and low consumer demand are the key reasons for the fall. Despite weak sales, Vivo led smartphone shipments in India with a 21 percent market share. Samsung came in second position, while Oppo retained third place. Nothing emerged as the fastest-growing smartphone brand with 47 percent YoY growth in Q1 2026, while Google is the fastest-growing brand in the premium segment.
India Smartphone Market Declines in Q1 2026
Counterpoint Research’s new Monthly India Smartphone Tracker report reveals that India’s smartphone shipments fell 3 percent YoY in Q1 2026. It is the weakest quarter in six years in this period, and the fall is attributed to supply-side costs, price hikes by smartphone companies and low consumer demand. To counter rising component costs due to the ongoing memory price surges and currency fluctuations, around one-third of new smartphone launches were pushed into Q1.
Vivo (excluding iQOO) topped India’s smartphone market in Q1 2026 with a 21 percent market share. The report says a higher number of launches, strong demand in the mid-premium segment led by the latest V-series smartphones, and well-executed channel discipline helped the company to achieve this.
In second place, Samsung’s growth was driven by sales offers on A-series models like Samsung Galaxy A07, Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56 models and strong early demand for the Galaxy S26 lineup, especially the Galaxy S26 Ultra variant. A well-balanced portfolio across tiers also supported the growth. Samsung recorded its highest shipment contribution from the Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000 segment during the quarter,
Oppo retained its third position with a 14 percent share, supported by strong sales of budget A and K series and the Reno lineup. The Chinese tech brand emerged as the fastest-growing among the top five by registering 8 percent YoY growth.
Along with sub-brand Poco, Xiaomi secured fourth position in Q1 2026 driven by the double-digit growth in the Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 segment. Xiaomi captured 7.9 percent share, while Poco grabbed 4.8 percent.
Meanwhile, Realme came in fifth position with 11 percent market share, backed by the strong online presence and demand for the Realme P3 Lite and Narzo 80 Lite.
Apple had a market share of 9 percent, which Counterpoint Research says was driven by continued demand for the iPhone 17 series.
Nothing Saw 47 Percent YoY Growth
Counterpoint Research notes that Nothing (including CMF) continued its strong momentum in Q1 2026. The UK brand posted 47 percent YoY growth in the quarter. Accelerated offline expansion, the launch of its first exclusive retail store in India, and the popularity of the Phone 4a series are the key factors helped growth. Google recorded the fastest growth in the premium segment (above Rs. 45,000), with 39 percent YoY growth.
Meanwhile, OnePlus dominated in the affordable premium segment, ranging from Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 45,000 on Amazon, with its Nord series and new Nord 6.
On the chipset front, MediaTek led overall shipments with a 49 percent share, while Qualcomm led the premium Android segment with over 50 percent share. The report also noted rising smartphone prices, with over 80 models seeing an average 15 percent increase in Q1 and a 15 to 20 percent hike expected in Q2, largely due to ongoing cost pressures.
Commenting on the market outlook, Tarun Pathak, Research Director at Counterpoint Research, noted that the industry will be under pressure in the near term, with Q2 2026 likely to see a double-digit decline, as elevated memory prices and weak entry-level demand continue to weigh on overall volumes. ” For the full year, the market is projected to decline by 10% YoY, as sustained component cost inflation, particularly in memory, which has already increased 4x over the past three quarters, continues to impact affordability and lengthen replacement cycles”, he added.