April 17 (Reuters) - India's smartphone shipments fell 3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, marking their weakest quarterly performance in six years as cost pressures, price hikes and soft demand weighed on sales, Counterpoint Research said on Friday.
• Over 80 smartphone models saw average price hikes of 15%, with a further 15%–20% expected in the second quarter.
• "The market is facing a clear affordability squeeze, driven by sharp memory-led cost inflation and currency pressures that have forced OEMs to raise prices across key models," said senior analyst Prachir Singh.
• "India's smartphone market is expected to remain under pressure in the near term, with Q2 2026 likely to see a double-digit decline," research director Tarun Pathak said.
• Vivo led the smartphone market with a 21% share, followed by Samsungand Oppo.
• Apple's share reached 9%, driven by sustained demand for the iPhone 17 series.
• Google was the fastest-growing premium brand, with shipments rising 39% year-on-year, helped by AI-led features.
(Reporting by Abhinav Parmar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)
