New Delhi, April 21 : Apple achieved its best-ever first quarter shipments (Q1 2025) in India, driven by strong iPhone 16 series momentum and compelling offers across ecommerce and large format retailers (LFRs) during the Republic Day promotions, a report said on Monday.

The introduction of the iPhone 16e allowed Apple to deepen its reach into tier 2 and tier 3 cities, according to a report by market research firm Canalys.

“Despite starting the quarter with elevated inventory and a 23 per cent year-on-year drop in total shipments, Samsung witnessed 5 per cent annual growth in its S25 series versus S24 in Q1 2024, driven by premium momentum and conversational AI features,” said Sanyam Chaurasia, Senior Analyst at Canalys (now part of Omdia).

For both brands, ecosystem stickiness and premium-led channel execution will be key strategic levers in the coming quarters, he mentioned.

As broader demand softens, brands like Apple and Samsung are anchoring their strategies around upgrade intent and higher average selling price (ASP) plays.

The evolving US tariff landscape strengthens India's position in the global smartphone value chain, but demand volatility will test the market in the coming quarters.