iPhone shipments in India set to hit record 15 million units in 2025

iPhone shipments are likely to be driven by festive season launches, aggressive pricing, and a strong demand for iPhone 17 series

Apple’s iPhone shipments across India are projected to rise by 25 per cent to a record 14–15 million units in 2025, driven by substantial discounts on older models, The Economic Times reported on Thursday. The tech giant has also priced its new handsets lower than previous models for similar storage capacities.

 

This year’s product launch coincides with the festive season, considered the most significant period for consumer goods sales annually. India is the company’s fastest-growing market in the smartphone category.

 

Apple launched its latest iPhone series on Tuesday, introducing the entry-level iPhone 17 at ₹82,900 with 256 GB storage, which is ₹7,000 cheaper than the equivalent model at the time of the iPhone 16 launch. Unlike the iPhone 16 series, where the entry-level models (except for the iPhone Pro Max) started at 128 GB, the iPhone 17 models all begin with 256 GB storage.

 

 

Research firms forecast strong growth

 

Research firm IDC India anticipates domestic iPhone shipments to reach 15 million units in 2025, up from 12 million units last year. Upasana Joshi, research manager at IDC India, stated that shipments to distributors crossed 6–7 million units during January–June, with an additional 4–5 million units expected between July and October, supported by festive demand.

 

Market researcher Canalys projects iPhone shipments to rise to 14.2 million units this year, compared with 11.8 million in 2024. Meanwhile, Counterpoint Research estimates an 18–19 per cent growth in dispatches, enabling Apple to capture around 8 per cent market share in the Indian smartphone market by year-end.

 

Canalys also forecasts Apple’s domestic wholesale revenue from iPhones to increase to $12.3 billion in 2025, up from $11.2 billion in 2024. The growth is attributed to efforts to promote upgrades to the latest Pro models and the new iPhone Air. Revenue is also expected to benefit from a rising attach rate for Apple’s ecosystem products, currently at 5 per cent, significantly lower than the global average of 37 per cent, industry experts noted.

 

Apple beats estimates with $94 billion in revenue

 

Apple Inc posted its strongest quarterly revenue growth in over three years, significantly exceeding Wall Street estimates. Revenue increased by 9.6 per cent to $94 billion in the third quarter of the US financial year (April–June). Apple further forecast that fourth-quarter revenue would rise by a mid- to high-single-digit percentage, outperforming analysts’ 3 per cent growth expectation.

 

Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said, “We have seen an acceleration of growth around the world in the vast majority of markets we track, including Greater China and many emerging markets.”

 

“The momentum for Apple Inc we believe will continue in India with the company now having the widest range of models in India, and it will surely be the fastest growing market for them globally,” Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research, said. Apple reportedly recorded revenue from operations in India of around $9 billion in the financial year 2024-25 (FY25).