Apple has quietly crossed a milestone that once felt impossible in India. The iPhone 16 has emerged as the country’s highest-selling smartphone, beating several Android models that cost a fraction of its price. According to a Mint report citing Counterpoint Research, Apple sold about 6.5 million iPhone 16 units in the first 11 months of 2025.
That figure puts it well ahead of Vivo’s Y29 5G, which shipped 4.7 million units. For a market long driven by budget phones, this shift clearly shows changing buyer priorities.
iPhone 16 Sale Numbers Clearly Show Buyer Mindset
The numbers around iPhone 16 India sales highlight just how sharply consumer behaviour is evolving. The iPhone 16 sells at more than three times the price of Vivo’s Y29 5G, yet it still topped the sales charts. This would have sounded unrealistic a few years ago, when premium phones were limited to a small urban audience.
What makes the trend stronger is that the iPhone 15 also entered the top five best-selling smartphones of the year. With a starting price of around Rs 47,000, it stood far above Vivo’s roughly Rs 14,000 offering, yet buyers still chose Apple in large numbers. This suggests that price alone is no longer the main decision factor for many Indian users.
Easy payment options have played a major role. No-cost EMIs, bank cashbacks, and flexible financing plans have made premium devices feel reachable for a wider group of consumers.
Instead of paying the full amount upfront, buyers are spreading the cost over months, making high-end phones feel less intimidating.
Apple India’s Smartphone Market Growth Stands Out
Apple India’s smartphone market performance becomes even more striking when viewed against the broader industry picture. India’s smartphone market is expected to stay mostly flat in 2025, marking the fourth year in a row of low single-digit growth. Total shipments are projected at around 158 million units, only slightly higher than last year.
Despite this slow overall growth, Apple has managed to gain ground. The company’s momentum is tied to a deeper strategy in India. Apple has expanded local manufacturing to reduce its dependence on China, while also treating India as a major growth market.
This approach became visible in 2025 with the opening of three new Apple Stores in Bengaluru, Pune, and Noida. That took Apple’s total physical retail presence in India to five stores. Together, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 made up about 8% of all smartphones sold in India until November, a notable share for premium-priced devices.
