Samsung retakes India smartphone lead with 17% share in Q3 2026
Counterpoint Research says India's overall smartphone shipments fell 20% year on year, the lowest level in ten years.
Samsung Electronics took the top spot in India's smartphone market in the third quarter of 2026 with a 17% share, up from 13% a year earlier, according to Counterpoint Research. The figures, reported by ZDNet Korea, show vivo, excluding iQOO, dropping to second place with 16%, down 4 percentage points from 20% in the same period of 2025.
Oppo ranked third with 12%, down 1 percentage point, while Xiaomi, including Poco, was fourth with 12%, also down 1 percentage point. Apple's share fell 1 percentage point to 8%, although early sales of the iPhone 18 Pro series in India rose nearly 20% over the previous models.
The leadership change came in a contracting market. India's smartphone shipments in the third quarter of 2026 fell 20% year on year, the lowest in ten years, according to Counterpoint.
The decline was sharpest at the entry level: shipments of devices priced under 20,000 rupees dropped 47%. Counterpoint forecast the Indian smartphone market will shrink about 13% for the full year.
Quick answers
Which brand leads India's smartphone market in the third quarter of 2026?
Samsung Electronics, with a 17% share, according to Counterpoint Research.
How far did India's smartphone shipments fall in the third quarter of 2026?
They fell 20% year on year to the lowest level in ten years, with devices under 20,000 rupees down 47%.
How is the full-year Indian smartphone market expected to perform?
Counterpoint Research forecast it will shrink about 13% for the full year.