Samsung Electronics reclaims top spot in quarterly market share after more than two years amid slump in India’s smartphone market

【New Delhi, India—Correspondent Pragya Awasathi】As India’s smartphone market contracted to its lowest level in 10 years by shipments in the third quarter of 2026, Samsung Electronics recorded a 19% market share and reclaimed the top spot for the first time in more than two years, since the first quarter of 2024. 
On the 20th, according to a report by market research firm Omdia, India’s smartphone shipments were estimated at 35.8 million units from July to September this year, down 26% from the same period a year earlier. This was the lowest level for the same quarter since 2016, and the market weakness was attributed to rising smartphone prices and subdued consumer spending, despite the start of India’s traditional festival season. The decline in third-quarter shipments was seen as even steeper in particular because, with the Diwali festival falling later than usual, offline retailers postponed building up inventory for the festive season from September to October.
However, despite the weakness in India’s smartphone market, Samsung Electronics ranked first with 6.7 million shipments in the third quarter and a 19% market share. Its shipments fell about 1% from the same period a year earlier, but it fared relatively better than its major competitors and regained the top spot for the first time since the first quarter of 2024.
Omdia attributed Samsung Electronics’ strong performance to robust sales of budget and mid-range models such as the Galaxy A07, A17 and A27, as well as the strong showing of its premium lineup, including the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, a new range of Z foldables and the S26 FE. It also cited a range of marketing efforts—particularly bank cashback offers, trade-in benefits and long-term installment plans—as having a significant impact. 
Vivo fell to second place as its shipments dropped about 34%, from 9.7 million units in the same period a year earlier to 6.4 million. Its market share was estimated at 18%. Xiaomi’s shipments were estimated to have fallen 28%, from 6.5 million units a year earlier to 4.7 million. Oppo also saw shipments decline 24% over the same period, from 6.5 million to 4.9 million. Apple’s shipments fell 20% year on year to 3.9 million units, but it remained among the top five in the Indian market. 

[email protected] Correspondent Pragya Awasathi Reporter