Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: India’s smartphone market showed resilience in the second quarter of 2026 with market value rising 1.7 per cent year-on-year as consumers increasingly shifted towards higher-priced devices, according to a report.
According to analysis by IDC, smartphone shipments in India stood at 33.2 million units in Q2 2026, while the average selling price (ASP) rose 14.4 per cent year-on-year to a record $315, reflecting continued premiumisation of the market.
The growth in market value came even as shipments declined amid an ongoing global memory chip shortage, which pushed up component costs and squeezed affordability, particularly in the entry-level segment.
The market’s first half shipments declined 7.9 per cent year-on-year to 64.2 million units, the lowest first-half volume in five years.
However, demand remained relatively resilient in higher value segments.
The $400-$600 price band was the strongest performer with shipments growing 60.3 per cent year-on-year and its market share nearly doubling to 8.6 per cent from 4.8 per cent.
Meanwhile, the $600-$800 segment remained broadly flat while shipments in the $800 plus category declined only 5 per cent. The mass-budget segment priced between $100 and $200, which accounted for 46.8 per cent of the market.
According to the report, the shift towards premium and upper-mid segments was partly driven by consumers moving up the price ladder as rising memory costs made entry-level smartphones increasingly expensive.
