Samsung’s Q1 2026 Smartphone Shipments Remain Flat in This Key Market

In Q1 2026, India’s smartphone shipments suffered a setback, though Samsung’s performance remained unchanged. The company did not see any progress in shipments despite the launch of its flagship Galaxy S26 series. The best thing is that it avoided decline thanks to solid demand for its affordable Galaxy A lineup.

Samsung secures second position in India smartphone shipments

According to data from Omdia, Samsung shipped about 5.1 million smartphones in India in Q1 2026. As such, the company secured a 16% market share. These figures are the same as last year’s Q1 performance, meaning the firm’s shipment volume in India remained flat year on year.

Speaking of position, Samsung ranked second in the Indian smartphone market in Q1 2026. vivo led this space with 6.3 million shipments and a 20% share. OPPO came in third place with 4.7 million units and a 15% share. Xiaomi secured fourth place with 3.8 million shipments and 12% share. Surprisingly, for the first time in a Q1 period, Apple joined the top five with 2.9 million units and a 9% share.

Samsung debuted its Galaxy S26 series on February 25, 2026, with sales beginning on March 11. As a result, the company did not see a substantial boost in volumes in Q1 2026 due to the short window. Meanwhile, Galaxy A models such as the Galaxy A07 and A17 performed well in India, helping support shipments.

However, the overall Indian smartphone market declined 5% year on year in Q1 2026, to 30.9 million units. This is mainly because of weaker seasonal demand, along with cautious inventory management. Research firm believes the market could see downside risk in 2026, with shipments forecast to fall by double digits. Brands have already started increasing prices of entry-level devices by 18-20% due to rising cost pressures, particularly from memory chips.

It is worth mentioning that Samsung’s global smartphone shipments declined 6% year on year in Q1 2026. Hopefully, shipments will rise in the coming quarters as the Galaxy S26 series gains strong traction around the world.