Indian smartphone market declined 7% in Q1 2025: Vivo gains ground as Xiaomi, Samsung stumble
Interestingly, despite the overall decline, the premium smartphone segment ( ₹ 25,000 and above) and the ultra-budget segment (below ₹ 7,000) recorded modest growth. In contrast, the value-for-money category ( ₹ 7,000– ₹ 25,000), which forms a bulk of the market, declined by 6% YoY.
Meanwhile, 5G smartphones made up 86% of the total shipments in Q1 2025 and saw a 14% overall YoY growth. Affordable 5G phones ranging between ₹ 8,000– ₹ 13,000 saw the biggest 100% jump in shipments.
Menka Kumari, Senior Analyst at CyberMedia Research (CMR), said in a blogpost, 'The <INR 10,000 5G smartphone segment witnessed over 500% YoY growth in Q1 2025. This reflects strong consumer appetite for affordable 5G smartphones. Brands such as Xiaomi, POCO, Motorola, and Realme are leading this surge. On the other hand, the 2G feature phone segment fell 17% YoY, while 4G feature phones declined sharply by 66% YoY.'
According to CMR, Vivo emerged as the top smartphone brand in India in Q1 2025, capturing a 20% market share and recording 18% year-on-year growth. Five of its models, Vivo Y29, T3 Lite, T3X, and T4X, contributed to nearly 43% of the brand's 5G shipments during the quarter.
Samsung held the second spot with an 18% market share but saw a 13% YoY decline in the value-for-money segment.
Xiaomi witnessed the steepest fall, slipping to a 13% market share with a 37% YoY decline. The brand struggled across both its value-for-money and affordable smartphone segments, the report noted.
In the feature phone segment, the report highlighted a 17% YoY decline in 2G phone shipments and a massive 66% drop in 4G feature phone shipments. Itel continues to lead the 2G segment with a 41% market share, followed by Lava at 31% and HMD at 19%.
First Published: 6 May 2025, 02:54 PM IST
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
New-Age Cultural Insights and Global E&M Forecast
Dear Readers, Welcome to your weekly dose of insights from the dynamic world of media and entertainment! This week, we're diving into how industry giants stay relevant, the rising importance of cultural understanding for brands, and the booming digital advertising landscape in India. Let's get into the top stories: Why cultural insight—not just ads—powers modern brands Rajiv Gopinath, CSO of Publicis Media India , argues that traditional advertising alone is no longer enough. Modern brands thrive by deeply integrating into culture, understanding its language, rituals, and values to build authentic connections, not just customers. This shift from "seen" to "felt" leads to organic, sustainable growth. Why you should care: In today's competitive landscape, simply showing up isn't enough. This piece reveals how decoding cultural nuances transforms brand perception from transactional to relational, enabling deeper consumer engagement and long-term loyalty. It's essential reading for anyone looking to build a truly resonant and successful brand. PwC report: India's E&M sector soars, driven by internet advertising The global entertainment and media (E&M) industry is set to hit $3.5 trillion by 2029, largely propelled by surging advertising spend and AI's transformative impact. While connectivity remains key, advertising is becoming the primary growth driver, especially in digital formats. India is a standout, leading developing markets with rapid growth fueled by its booming internet advertising sector, driven by increased internet access and 5G. Why you should care: This article reveals India's E&M sector is soaring, driven by a 15.9% CAGR in internet advertising. Understanding this shift is crucial for businesses aiming to thrive. With AI transforming content and ad models, and digital formats dominating, knowing these trends from PwC's latest outlook helps you identify opportunities and strategise effectively in this dynamic market. KBC season 17: A silver jubilee milestone navigating a flat advertising landscape? As Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) celebrates its 25th anniversary with Season 17, the iconic show continues to attract robust advertiser interest despite a flat advertising market. While revenues are projected to remain similar to last year (INR 400-450 crore), KBC's strength lies in its deep connection with aspirational, mass-market audiences (SEC B and C), unique brand integration opportunities often endorsed by Amitabh Bachchan. Why you should care: This article offers valuable insights into how established media properties can maintain their allure in a challenging economic climate. It highlights the importance of understanding target demographics, creating bespoke brand solutions beyond traditional ad spots, and leveraging unique host appeal for impactful campaigns. More stories from this week: ZEEL's ad revenue declines by 16.7% in Q1FY26 ESPN viewership soars as it targets $2B NFL media deal and major streaming debut I&B panel OKs 'Udaipur Files', but no SC nod yet Talent winning out at Indian gaming cos as focus shifts to high-end titles DTH signals fade, but FM radio turns up the volume for MIB And that concludes this edition of our Media & Entertainment Weekly! We hope you found this deep dive into KBC's enduring appeal, the power of cultural insights, and India's digital ad boom both informative and inspiring. What M&E trends are you watching? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Connect with us on LinkedIn and tag @ETBrandEquity to share your perspective. Until next Friday, stay curious and creative. Team ETBrandEquity.
Hindustan Times
9 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Tired of the city? Here's why remote workers are snapping up vacation homes
As lifestyles evolve and disposable incomes rise, a new mindset is shaping India's real estate landscape, especially among the youth, both singles and couples. We are witnessing a strong shift toward long-term wealth creation, where real estate, particularly in the luxury segment, is playing a central role. Zoom From the hills, Netflix by the lake: Welcome to hybrid living 2.0(Image by Shutterstock) Not too long ago, the idea of owning a vacation home or even taking regular 'mental breaks' was considered indulgent, even unnecessary. Today, however, it's become a lifestyle choice. People no longer view vacation homes purely as indulgences — they now see them as strategic assets. Staycations, weekend getaways and hybrid living have reshaped the way people perceive second homes. Spain is the ultimate destination for remote workers in 2025.(Image by Verdin Property) Seeing this demand surge significantly, Ankit Lodha, Founder of LA Empire, shared in an interview with HT Lifestyle, 'Vacation homes are no longer just aspirational purchases. They have evolved into a vital and accessible part of modern living and portfolio diversification. According to recent industry reports, the luxury real estate segment (properties valued at INR 5 crore and above) has seen a remarkable 80% growth in sales compared to 2023. This trend signals where the market is headed — a future where premium real estate will be more lifestyle-driven, flexible and financially rewarding.' The very definition of 'home' is being reimagined Ankit Lodha opined, 'With hybrid and remote working models becoming increasingly adaptable, people are relocating to spaces that offer not just comfort but also a work-life balance — often surrounded by nature. A vacation home is no longer confined to short-term use; it has become a multi-functional space to live, work and unwind.' 'Bleisure' travel gains popularity as remote work redefines work-life balance(Unsplash/Kristin Wilson) What's also changing is the traditional notion of real estate as a static, long-term investment Ankit Lodha revealed, 'Today's luxury homebuyers are leveraging their properties in smarter ways — living in them for part of the year and renting them out for the rest. This model helps offset overhead costs, manage EMIs or maintenance, and in many cases, even generate surplus income.' She concluded, 'Mid-term rentals are booming in the luxury stay segment, further proving that flexibility and financial intelligence are at the core of this new wave of ownership. The luxury home market in India is no longer just about prestige. It's about practicality, adaptability, and sustainable wealth creation — all without compromising on quality of life.'
Mint
9 hours ago
- Mint
Xiaomi G 32 32' QLED TV review in 5 points: Google TV and deep blacks make it stand out
Xiaomi launched the Smart G 32 TV earlier this month, positioning it as an entry-level model in its smart TV lineup, retailing for ₹ 13,999 in the Indian market. The brand advertises it as a QLED TV that notably comes with Google TV, unlike some Redmi models which use Fire TV, and it has a 60Hz refresh rate with an HD resolution of 1366×768. Having used the television for over two weeks to consume a wide range of content, from YouTube to various OTT services, it appears to be a great option for many at this price point of ₹ 13,999. Here's my quick review in 5 points. The television runs on Google TV, which is arguably its highlight, making it incredibly feature-rich. The user interface is well-organised and easy to navigate. Thanks to Google TV, it provides a best-in-class range of applications, meaning you will find every major OTT app. However, this versatility combined with the television's budget nature means that everyday operations are not always the most fluid. While it often remains smooth, it can occasionally fail to register or delay remote inputs by a couple of seconds. This can be annoying, but it is not a deal-breaker, especially if you primarily switch between only one or two OTT apps. As for loading times, opening applications like YouTube is rather quick, taking only a few seconds. For its price, I think the panel offers reasonable image quality. When used in dim conditions, the panel can appear a little splotchy, particularly with grey tones, but this is to be expected from a television at this price point. In a well-lit room, this is not noticeable, and the experience remains immersive. Given that it is a 32-inch HD panel rather than 4K or 1080p, the display is sharp enough for most content. So unless you have very high expectations or plan to use it with something like a PlayStation 5 for the best visuals, it should prove satisfactory. The visuals are usually crisp, and the colours are particularly nice, thanks to support for the DCI-P3 wide colour gamut. Built-in tech, like the Vivid Picture Engine 2, along with HDR10 support, also help the colours. As a QLED TV, it delivers good black levels, which is especially impressive in a room with ambient light. In a pitch-black room, some minor backlight bleed becomes apparent, but for the retail price, it is hard to complain about the overall picture quality. Coming to the viewing angles, while not the best, the visuals remain largely consistent when viewing from up to a 45-degree angle. However, when watching from an extreme corner, the image quality deteriorates significantly. The television features 20W speakers with support for Dolby Audio, DTS Virtual:X, and DTS-HD. In a room that is not excessively large, the television is capable of delivering great sound, particularly for OTT content. Dialogue in television shows is clear and without muffling. Music also sounds good, with ample lows and well-reproduced mids. However, I would advise buyers not to raise the volume too high; the sweet spot is around 70–75%, as the audio can become slightly muffled above this level. The television comes with a slim, ergonomic, and lightweight remote control. It includes most of the necessary functions, such as a shortcut to PatchWall, a home button, and quick-access buttons for various OTT apps like Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, and SonyLIV. There are also convenient shortcuts for selecting the input source and quickly opening the settings menu. When it comes to 32-inch TVs, a large part of their use case tends to be in places like offices, hospitals, shops, and similar environments. These days, most people are opting for larger TVs for their homes. Given the typical use cases for 32-inch TVs, it makes sense that many buyers may want to move the TV around after purchasing it. In this case, the TV weighs just 3.1 kg, which I believe is a major advantage. It's easy to move around and feels almost weightless. So, if you're looking for something portable and easy to shift from one place to another, the Xiaomi G 32 QLED TV could be ideal.
