Samsung nudges past Apple to become India's top super-premium brand
Samsung has just nudged past Apple to become India's top super-premium smartphone brand, grabbing 49% of the market compared to Apple's 48%, says IDC.
This shift happened as India's overall smartphone market grew slightly, with about 70 million phones shipped in the first half of 2025.
Samsung's AI flagships helped it top ultra-premium charts
The new Galaxy S24 Ultra, S25, and S25 Ultra were big hits, helping Samsung lead in phones priced above $800 (around ₹70,000).
This high-end segment grew by nearly 16% and now makes up 7% of all smartphone sales.
Samsung's AI-powered flagships also helped it top India's ultra-premium charts for the first time.
iPhone 16 was India's best-selling phone in early 2025
Even though Samsung took the overall lead, Apple's iPhone 16 was still India's single best-selling phone in early 2025—making up 4% of total shipments.
The strong showing from both the iPhone 16 and its Plus version kept Apple firmly in the game among high-end buyers.