Smartphone shipments in India decreased by 26 percent annually to 35.8 million units in the third quarter of 2026. Omdia’s October 19 report shows that the contraction in the global phone market continues in India as well. This result represents the lowest third-quarter shipments recorded in the country since 2016.
While Samsung returned to the first place with 6.7 million units, vivo remained at 6.4 million units. The difference between the two brands is 300 thousand units. When calculated based on the total market size, Samsung’s share is approximately 18.7 percent and vivo’s is 17.9 percent. These ratios do not describe the revenue share, but the weight in the number of devices shipped.
Samsung returns to leadership, but overall market shrinks
Omdia states that Samsung is the leader for the first time since the first quarter of 2024. OPPO completes the top five with 4.9 million units, Xiaomi with 4.7 million and Apple with 3.9 million units. Vivo shipments decreased by 34 percent annually, OPPO by 24 percent, and Xiaomi by 28 percent. Moving up the rankings does not mean that each manufacturer is shipping more phones.
The research company explains that high phone prices and cautious consumer spending weaken renewal demand. Diwali falling on a later date in the calendar also caused some physical store stocks to shift from September to October. Therefore, it would be incomplete to explain the quarterly decline solely by consumers giving up their phones, excluding the calendar effect.
It is also necessary to protect the border of shipping data. The figures here measure the devices sent to distribution and sales channels during a certain period. It does not alone show how many phones were sold to end users in the same quarter or at what price they changed hands. The manufacturer’s stock plan and the store’s sales rate are different indicators.
On the other hand, Counterpoint’s global preliminary estimates show a 20 percent decline worldwide in the same period. The research company reports that the rise in DRAM and NAND costs is pressuring phone production and prices. It calculates that global retail phone prices have increased by 20 percent over the year as manufacturers pass on rising component costs to consumers.
Counterpoint also states that users keep their devices longer than expected, evaluate refurbished phones more, and that the price-sensitive segment is under heavier pressure. On the other hand, demand in the upper price class remains relatively resilient. It is possible to read the Indian data together with this global view, but the country scope and methods of the two studies are not the same.
The numbers do not give a direct price estimate for Türkiye for those considering renewing their phones. The decline in shipments in India does not mean that all models will become cheaper or that stocks will change in the same direction. The results reveal that manufacturers are looking for a balance between more expensive components, longer replacement cycles and prudent inventory management.