India’s smartphone shipments fell 20% year-on-year (YoY) in the July-September quarter of 2026 to their lowest level in a decade, as rising memory prices pushed up phone costs and weakened demand. Samsung reclaimed the top spot after nine quarters, with a 17% market share, as it performed better than the overall market, according to Counterpoint Research. Vivo followed with 16%, while Oppo and Xiaomi, including POCO, held 12% each. Shipments of smartphones priced below Rs 20,000 fell 47% during the quarter as consumers delayed upgrades and became more careful about spending.
This made phones less affordable, particularly in the mass-market segment below Rs 15,000.
Record-high memory prices increased smartphone manufacturing costs, leading brands to raise prices, according to the Counterpoint Research. Consumers responded by extending the time between phone upgrades or postponing purchases. Smartphone makers also kept their inventories low ahead of the festive season instead of pushing for higher sales volumes.
Samsung regained the top position in India’s smartphone market with a 17% share in Q3 2026, after nine quarters.
Counterpoint said Samsung’s relatively limited price increases and management of rising memory costs helped it perform better than the overall market. Its Galaxy A series helped drive sales, while its presence across online and offline retail channels supported shipments. Its eighth-generation Galaxy foldable phones also gained consumer interest.