Brands pushed Indians to buy premium phones. Now, they’re paying a price

In a world where prices are rising and economic headwinds are real, customers are naturally making more considered choices, said Zeba Khan, director – consumer electronics at Amazon India, the country’s single-largest online smartphone retailer. “Premium smartphones priced above ₹60,000 have grown close to 20% year-on-year on Amazon.in, and we are seeing new customers foraying into the premium segment for the first time. Top AI smartphone models have seen 2x growth in sales, and a big part of that is because customers are arriving at their decisions better informed than ever before. This shift is not limited to metros. Two-thirds of our searches now come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 centres, and affordability levers like no-cost EMI, exchange offers, and bank deals have meaningfully improved accessibility,” Khan said.