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Affordable 5G fuels India smartphone market despite 1% dip in 2025: Report

Affordable 5G fuels India smartphone market despite 1% dip in 2025: Report

by | Feb 9, 2026 | Technology



Indian smartphone market underwent structural change in calendar year 2025 as demand for affordable 5G phones skyrocketed and it sustained for premium models even as overall shipment declined by 1 per cent year-on-year (YoY), noted CyberMedia Research’s (CMR) India in its Mobile Handset Market Review for CY2025.

 


According to the report, shipments for budget 5G smartphones in the Rs 6,000–8,000 price bracket surged over 1,900 per cent compared to 2024, contributing significantly to the overall 88 per cent share of total 5G smartphone shipments in the country – up 12 percentage points from 2024. The shift underscores the democratisation of 5G, likely driven by aggressive pricing, improved availability of entry-level 5G chipsets and expanding nationwide 5G network coverage.

 
 


“CY2025 was a year of recalibration rather than contraction for India’s smartphone market. While overall volumes softened marginally, the fundamentals remained strong. The rapid scaling of affordable 5G, resilient premium demand, and the rise of challenger brands point to a market that is evolving structurally, not weakening,” said Menka Kumari, senior analyst – Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR.


Which brands led India’s smartphone market in 2025


Vivo led the overall market in 2025 with a 19 per cent share, followed by Samsung with a 16 per cent share. OPPO and Xiaomi each held 13 per cent share, while Realme accounted for 10 per cent, according to the report.

 

Vivo and OPPO recorded growth in shipments in 2025 among the top five brands, while Samsung, Xiaomi and Realme saw declines. Xiaomi emerged as the worst performer among the top brands, with shipments falling 27 per cent, even after including POCO volumes, the report said. 
ALSO READ: iPhone 16 tops the charts in major reset of India smartphone market


Apple growth despite missing top five


Apple did not feature in CMR’s top five brands for 2025, but the report highlighted a strong 25 per cent growth compared with 2024, bringing its market share close to 9 per cent in India. According to the report, Apple’s iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 series together accounted for 81 per cent of the company’s shipments in CY2025.


Fastest-growing smartphone brands in 2025

The report pointed to a 32 per cent year-on-year decline in OnePlus shipments, while emerging brands such as iQOO and CMF by Nothing posted strong growth of 81 per cent and 78 per cent, respectively, in CY2025. 
“2025 marked a structural inflection point for India’s smartphone market. Explosive growth in affordable 5G and resilient premium demand reshaped the competitive landscape, with brands such as Motorola, iQOO and CMF emerging as clear growth outperformers. These structural tailwinds decisively outweighed the marginal 1 per cent decline in overall market volumes,” said Prabhu Ram, vice-president, Industry Research Group, CMR. 


Lava records growth in flat market


Home-grown brand Lava also recorded 8 per cent year-on-year growth in CY2025, standing out as one of the few brands to expand in an otherwise flat market. The growth was driven by steady traction in the value and affordable smartphone segments, the report noted.



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Sony may launch WF-1000XM6 flagship earbuds on Feb 12: What to expect

Sony may launch WF-1000XM6 flagship earbuds on Feb 12: What to expect

by | Feb 9, 2026 | Technology


Sony has released a teaser video for its next set of wireless earbuds, confirming that the company will unveil its “next generation of earbuds” on February 12. While Sony has not named the product in the teaser, a report by 9To5Google said that the upcoming launch is expected to be the company’s next flagship true wireless earbuds, likely the WF-1000XM6, which would succeed the WF-1000XM5 that debuted in 2023.

 


The teaser video, posted on Sony’s official YouTube channel, offers only a brief glimpse of the product. It shows the silhouette of an open charging case with one earbud visible inside, giving a partial look at the new design. The video ends by confirming the launch date and time, but does not reveal any specifications or features.

 


Sony WF-1000XM6: What to expect


The Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds are expected to bring a revised design for both the buds and the charging case. The earbuds will likely carry an IPX4 rating for water resistance and are expected to be available in at least two colours, including black and silver. 


According to a report by NotebookCheck, specifications of the Sony WF-1000XM6 have also appeared online. The new model is expected to use a QN3e processor and will likely work alongside eight adaptive microphones, up from six on the WF-1000XM5, with the aim of improving noise cancellation performance.

 


The audio hardware is also expected to be updated, with a new driver, an improved DAC, and a better amplifier. The earbuds are said to support Hi-Res Wireless audio via LDAC, along with DSEE Extreme upscaling and a 10-band equaliser. Other features could include 360 Reality Audio with head tracking, adaptive sound control, and multiple ambient sound modes.

 


For calls, the earbuds are said to use a combination of beamforming microphones and bone conduction sensors, along with wind noise reduction and AI-based processing. Battery life is expected to be rated at up to eight hours on the earbuds, with an additional 16 hours provided by the charging case. The case is also said to support fast charging and wireless charging.



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YouTube introduces new features across web, mobile, TVs, and YouTube Music

YouTube introduces new features across web, mobile, TVs, and YouTube Music

by | Oct 16, 2024 | Technology


YouTube introduces new features across web, mobile, TVs, and YouTube Music

2 min read Last Updated : Oct 16 2024 | 5:21 PM IST


YouTube is rolling out an array of updates that include features such as fine-tunable playback speed, allowing adjustments in increments of 0.05, improved browsing in landscape mode (coming later this year for iOS users), larger thumbnails, and bigger text. These updates have started to roll out across web, mobile, TVs, and YouTube Music. Here are the details:


Improved Miniplayer for multitasking


YouTube now allows users to browse on the mobile phone while watching a video with the new improved miniplayer. Users can resize and move the miniplayer within the YouTube mobile app.

 


Collaborative YouTube playlists


Users can create playlists with friends and family by inviting others to collaborate using a specific link. Soon, users will also be able to use a QR code to add to a playlist on TV.


YouTube is introducing a new customisation tool for playlists, enabling users to design their own custom thumbnails using their photos or by creating new ones with generative AI. To create a custom thumbnail, users need to select an image and personalise it with text, filters, or stickers. To generate an AI thumbnail, users can tap on “Create with AI,” select a theme, and choose from the creations generated by AI.


Users will also be able to vote on videos in playlists, allowing creators to let their audience rank their favourite content.


Sleep timer


YouTube is introducing a sleep timer, enabling users to set a timer that automatically pauses videos after a specified time.


Badges


YouTube is adding badges to the YouTube and YouTube Music apps on mobile devices. Initially, there will be a few badges that can be earned by achieving YouTube milestones, such as being a top listener of an artist. The badges will start rolling out in the upcoming weeks and can be found in the “You” tab.


Upgraded YouTube on TV


The visual updates being launched on web and mobile will also be available in the YouTube app on TV. The new user interface provides continued interaction with the content while watching Shorts.

First Published: Oct 16 2024 | 5:21 PM IST



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Prime Video viewers in India to face ad interruptions starting 2025

Prime Video viewers in India to face ad interruptions starting 2025

by | Oct 16, 2024 | Technology


2 min read Last Updated : Oct 16 2024 | 3:51 PM IST

Starting 2025, Amazon’s Prime Video viewers in India will have to face interruptions due to advertisements during shows and movies on the streaming platform.


The change, which is already in effect in the United States, is aimed at Amazon’s plans to fund content investments amid heated competition in the sector.

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“To continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time, starting in 2025, Prime Video shows and movies will include limited advertisements in India,” the company said in an official statement.


Prime Video said that it aims to have “meaningfully fewer” advertisements compared to its competitors. The company plans to increase its “investments over a long period of time” in its titles, it said.

 


How to sign up for Amazon Prime ad-free service


For an uninterrupted, ad-free experience, users will likely have to shell out more money for the streaming platform’s services. The pricing details for such plans are not out yet. However, there will be no changes to the current price of Prime membership in 2025. Amazon also said that the users will be notified about the advertisement related introductions “several weeks before” through email, which will include details about the ad-free option plan.


The development signals the intensifying competition in the streaming services market. Data analytics firm Comscore predicted that Reliance and Disney’s $8.5 billion mega-merger could capture nearly half of India’s streaming users, prompting other providers to adapt and respond.


Amazon has continued to invest heavily in its platform in India due to its growing user base. More people are signing up for Amazon Prime in India than anywhere else in the world over the last few years, Mike Hopkins, senior vice-president at Prime Video had said in March.


Some reports estimate that the Indian internet industry is expected to reach a valuation of $5 trillion by 2030.

First Published: Oct 16 2024 | 3:51 PM IST



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Lenovo Tech World 2024: New AI agent, ThinkPad AI laptop and more announced

Lenovo Tech World 2024: New AI agent, ThinkPad AI laptop and more announced

by | Oct 16, 2024 | Technology


ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 Aura Edition

4 min read Last Updated : Oct 16 2024 | 2:51 PM IST

At its Tech World 2024 event, China’s Lenovo announced several new artificial intelligence innovations, including Lenovo AI Now, an artificial intelligence agent that can transform a PC into a personal assistant. Lenovo also introduced its Learning Zone educational software platform, featuring a suite of AI-powered tools. Additionally, the company unveiled its new ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 Aura Edition AI laptop and several new proof-of-concept AI devices. Here are the details:


ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Details

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The new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 Aura Edition is a versatile laptop that can function as a tablet. Powered by Intel Core Ultra 200V series processors, the new Lenovo AI laptop features a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) capable of performing 48 trillion operations per second (TOPS). While the laptop is set to receive Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC experience with new AI-powered features such as Live Captions and Recall, it also includes its own suite of AI features.

 


As a Lenovo Aura Edition device, the new 2-in-1 laptop features Smart Modes that provide intuitive access through a simple widget for personalising different tasks, such as collaboration, wellness, and privacy. There is also a Smart Share feature that allows quick image sharing with smartphones, and a Smart Care feature that provides instant access to the company’s support tools for problem-solving assistance.


The laptop boasts an up to 2.8K resolution OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits peak brightness. It is offered with up to 32GB LPDDR5X dual-channel RAM and up to 2TB PCIe Gen5 SSD. Powered by a 57Whr battery, the device supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. Connectivity options include two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and an HDMI 2.1 port.


Lenovo AI Now: Details


Lenovo AI Now is the company’s proprietary AI agent, based on a local large language model developed on top of Meta’s Llama 3.1 AI model. This AI agent enables real-time interaction with a user’s personal knowledge base (PKB) using on-device processing. Lenovo stated that users can leverage Lenovo AI Now to automate and simplify various tasks, including document management, online meeting transcriptions, device control, and content generation. The platform’s intuitive AI assistant supports natural language interaction and can be prompted to search for locally stored files or generate summaries. The AI agent also integrates PC assistant functionality, allowing users to adjust device settings via AI prompts.


Lenovo AI Now also provides support for after-sales services, device recommendations, and customer support through Lenovo’s virtual assistant.


Lenovo Learning Zone: Details


Lenovo Learning Zone is the company’s new AI-powered educational platform that offers several AI-driven learning tools. The platform converts study materials into AI Notes and generates AI-powered quizzes. Additionally, it features the Lenovo Smart Scanner for digitising and importing documents.


Lenovo Learning Zone supports synchronisation between PCs and smartphones, allowing users to access learning materials across devices.


AI device: Proof of concepts


At its Tech World 2024 event, Lenovo also showcased several concept devices, including an AI mouse featuring a dedicated button for Lenovo AI Now. There is also an “AI Buddy,” which features a circular display that simulates a sentiment-based user interface to interact with users more personally. This digital assistant can handle scheduling, reminders, and daily tasks, adapting its responses based on the user’s preferences.


Other proof-of-concept devices showcased at the event include Home AI Brain and a Super Multi-view 3D Conference Solution.

First Published: Oct 16 2024 | 2:51 PM IST



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Samsung Galaxy Ring goes on sale in India: Check price, offers and features

Samsung Galaxy Ring goes on sale in India: Check price, offers and features

by | Oct 16, 2024 | Technology


3 min read Last Updated : Oct 16 2024 | 1:09 PM IST

Samsung’s new ring-style wearable, the Galaxy Ring, is now available in India. Launched alongside the Galaxy Z 6 series foldable devices in July, the Galaxy Ring has been available for pre-reservation in India since October 14. The Galaxy Ring brings notable health monitoring sensors and fitness tracking capabilities to a smaller, more lightweight form factor.


The Samsung Galaxy Ring is available in nine different sizes, ranging from Size 5 to Size 13. The smallest size weighs 2.3g, while the largest Size 13 weighs 3g. Additionally, the Galaxy Ring is available in three colours: Titanium Black, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Gold.

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Samsung Galaxy Ring: Price, availability, and offers

The Galaxy Ring starts at Rs 38,999 and is available on Samsung’s official website, select retail stores, and on e-commerce platforms Amazon and Flipkart. Samsung also stated that customers who are unsure about their ring size can obtain a sizing kit to verify the fit before purchasing the Galaxy Ring.


As part of the introductory offer, Samsung is offering a 25W travel adapter at no additional cost to customers who purchase the Galaxy Ring until October 18. There is also an option for a no-interest equated monthly instalment (no-cost EMI) plan of up to 24 months on select bank cards.


Samsung Galaxy Ring: Details


Samsung noted that the Galaxy Ring features a distinct concave design with durable construction. Made from Grade 5 titanium, the Galaxy Ring comes with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, allowing it to withstand depths of up to 100 metres with a 10ATM rating. Samsung claims a battery life of seven days for the Galaxy Ring, which comes with a clamshell-style charging case featuring LED lighting to indicate charging status.


Samsung has also equipped the Galaxy Ring with Galaxy AI for generating detailed health reports that focus on various health metrics. This feature, referred to as “Health AI,” utilises all available health-related data to offer personalised recommendations and tips. All this data and insights are accessible on the Samsung Health app, which the company stated does not require a subscription.


With Health AI, the Galaxy Ring offers additional metrics like the Energy Score, based on users’ current physical state. This score is calculated by evaluating various health metrics collected by the ring, such as sleep, activity, sleeping heart rate, and sleeping heart rate variability. Samsung also mentioned that users can pair the Galaxy Ring with a Galaxy Watch, which can enhance the accuracy of health and wellness tracking.

First Published: Oct 16 2024 | 1:09 PM IST



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