According to a new research released on Tuesday, Apple for the first time secured a position among the top five smartphone brands in India in Q4 2024, as the country’s premium smartphone market maintained its robust double-digit growth pace from the previous year.

Apple’s market share increased by 11% in Q4 and grew by 72% year over year.

The CyberMedia Research (CMR) research also showed strong improvements, with the super-premium smartphone category (above Rs 1,00,000) up 10% and the uber-premium segment (above Rs 1,00,000) up 25%.

Apple’s market share jumped by 82% year over year in the super-premium (Rs 50,000–Rs 1,00,000) sector and by 32% in the uber-premium (Rs 1,00,000) segment.

The analysis claims that aggressive marketing, steep holiday discounts, and high demand for both the newest and older iPhone models made this market expansion possible.

India’s smartphone market in 2024 offers a complicated picture of a diverse customer base, said Menka Kumari, senior analyst, Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR.

On the one hand, the premium market is still growing, which is indicative of a move toward lifestyle statements that emphasize high performance. However, she said that there are signs of revival in the sector under Rs 10,000.

Initiatives for accessibility and affordability across price points are enabling customer goals and propelling market expansion.

In 2024, the smartphone market in India saw a range of developments across different sectors. The results indicated a move toward luxury cellphones, with the value-for-money sector declining by 7% year over year, while the budget segment gained marginally by 1% YoY.

In 2024, the sub-Rs 10,000 5G market grew 80% year over year due to new product releases and increased demand for feature-rich, reasonably priced handsets.