Chinese brands see double-digit declines in India smartphone market in 2Q26: IDC

Most Chinese smartphone brands registered double-digit percentage volume declines in the India market in the second quarter of 2026 as the ongoing global memory chip shortage kept component costs elevated and pinched affordability across price bands, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).

First-ranked Vivo’s shipments fell by 14% year-on-year in Q2 2026, and it held an 18.4% market share during the period, compared to a 19% share in the corresponding quarter a year ago. Samsung, in the second rank, saw a 0.4% growth, but its share expanded from 14.5% in Q2 2025 to 16.4% in Q2 2026, while Oppo’s shipments declined by 8.5%, according to the research firm’s data.

Fourth-placed Xiaomi and fifth-ranked Realme saw a 10% and 14.2% decline, respectively, in Q2 2026.

However, Vivo’s sub-brand, iQOO, logged the steepest shipment decline of 61% year-on-year in the April-June quarter of 2026, while Xiaomi’s sub-brand Poco, too, saw a 12.3% fall in its shipments. Motorola’s shipments fell 9%.

“Chinese brands faced the sharpest exposure, as their traditional strength in the low-end and mass-budget segments worked against them,” the research firm said in the report.

It added that as financing options narrowed the price gap between segments, several leading Chinese manufacturers saw sharper, double-digit declines as demand tilted toward brands with stronger scale and supply chain stability.

Apple’s shipments also grew by about 0.7% in a tough market, but its market share expanded from 7.5% in Q2 2025 to 8.5% in Q2 2026, as per IDC. It faced supply shortages on the iPhone 15, 16, and 17, but consumer demand softened as affordability offers grew scarce.

India’s overall smartphone shipments slipped by 11.1% year-on-year to 33.2 million units in Q2 2026, IDC said.

“Q2 2026 saw average selling prices climb 14.4% year over year to a record $315 (~₹30,000), with memory-driven cost pressure showing up across the product lineup. This marks a sharp reversal from the same period last year, when early festive discounts and offers were rolled out to build momentum ahead of the season,” said Aditya Rampal, senior research analyst (devices research), IDC Asia Pacific.

In the festive season, financing options will be key to keeping affordability within reach, alongside product differentiation in the mid-premium segment, to sustain consumer demand, Rampal added.

In the January-June (H1) period of 2026, shipments fell to 64.2 million units, down 7.9% year-on-year, the lowest first-half volume in five years, even as market value grew 3.6% year-on-year.

IDC expects the second half of 2026 to be tougher than the first, as brands run out of the lower-cost inventory that cushioned the first two quarters, and face the memory shortage through the festive season.

“Festive discounts, typically the trigger for purchases, look unlikely this year as cost pressure builds through H2 2026. Shipments are set to decline by over 15% in the second half, taking full-year volumes down to roughly 128-130 million units,” said Upasana Joshi, senior research manager (devices research), IDC Asia/Pacific.