The iPhone 16 household makes up over half of iPhone purchases in India, however older iPhone fashions are most well-liked by value-focused shoppers as an alternative of the iPhone 16e.
India is a vital smartphone marketplace for Apple, not least due to its rising manufacturing efforts within the area. As an rising market of appreciable dimension, it is an space of huge potential development for gross sales.
On Tuesday, Canalys launched a report in regards to the prime smartphones bought in India. Whereas Apple narrowly misses out on the highest 5 record, reaching sixth place in Q2 2025, it’s mentioned to be serving to to reshape the smartphone market normally.
Apple’s gross sales are largely made up of the iPhone 16 household of gadgets, which accounts for over 55% of shipments, the analysts say. Canalys would not say what the break up is between fashions, however the premium positioning is definitely inflicting others to rethink the market.
Total, the smartphone market in India noticed 7% year-over-year development in Q2 2025, reaching 39 million items. It follows a extra “cautious” Q1 2025, which shrank 8% year-over-year because of distributors having elevated ranges of stock.
In Monday’s report on U.S. shipments, Canalys added that Apple managed to profit significantly inside India within the first quarter. Its improve of shipments to prospects in India of 28% year-over-year was mentioned to be because of a rise in premium machine adoption and financing affords.
Monday’s report additionally mentioned that Apple had managed to suit inside the prime 5 smartphone manufacturers in India in Q1 2025. This implies Apple did not handle to safe sufficient gross sales versus vastly enhancing opponents to remain within the prime 5 for Q2.
Older vs neutered
Of the 45% the rest of Apple’s Q2 2025 shipments in India, they’re made up of cheaper choices exterior of the principle flagship fashions. That is mentioned by Canalys to be made up of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 13, which continues to drive demand.
Nonetheless, the iPhone 16e isn’t doing nice sales-wise. The worth possibility among the many current-gen fashions, it is not managing to safe as many purchases in a reasonably price-sensitive area.
Canalys believes the mannequin misplaced numerous momentum post-launch because of shoppers being postpone by the lowered specs. The one rear digital camera design was of little worth to shoppers, who most well-liked to purchase the extra well-rounded older fashions which have two or three rear cameras.
Apple Intelligence, a giant function pushed by Apple, apparently did not assist the mannequin both, because of it being “largely unrealized.”
The iPhone 16e has performed properly because it joined the roster, serving to to spice up general smartphone gross sales globally within the first quarter, in addition to having far more demand at launch than the iPhone SE 3. It is also seen good progress in China, garnering extra budget-conscious customers within the aggressive mid-range market.
