India’s smartphone market declined 10% YoY in Q2 2026 as consumers delayed upgrades amid cautious spending, rising component costs and longer replacement cycles. CMR said affordable and value-for-money segments remained under pressure, while premium smartphones grew 54%. The super-premium segment surged 72%, driven by financing offers, trade-ins, AI features and premium designs.

New Delhi: India’s smartphone market eased 10 per cent year‑on‑year in the second quarter of 2026 as consumers delayed upgrades and manufacturers and retailers worked down inventories, a report said on Monday.

The report from technology research firm CyberMedia Research (CMR) said the slowdown reflects cautious consumer spending, rising component and device costs, extended replacement cycles, and inventory optimisation across retail channels.

The slowdown was broad‑based on lower price tiers, as the affordable segment eased 88 per cent and the value‑for‑money segment tempered 30 per cent year‑on‑year.

The premium segment (above Rs 25,000) grew 54 per cent, led by the super‑premium band (Rs 50,000–Rs 1 lakh), which surged 72 per cent on continued aspirational demand and financing offers such as zero‑cost EMIs and trade‑in schemes.