On hearing the name of 5G, the first thing that comes to mind is strong speed, great design and great camera… isn’t it? But wait! Do you know that a big twist has come in the Indian smartphone market? 5G, which was being trumpeted everywhere, is now becoming out of the general budget. Because of this, the Indian youth is again turning towards 4G phones. Expensive phones have slowed down the speed of 5G a bit and 4G phones have once again come into trend. Let us know what is going on in the market and why people are choosing 4G over 5G in a budget of Rs 15,000. Expressing confidence?
A very interesting trend has emerged for the people using smartphones in India. While it seemed that by 2026, everyone would have only a 5G phone in their hands, the reality turned out to be a little different. Due to the expensive smartphones, the pace of 5G has slowed down and 4G phones have made a huge comeback in the market. People are now not buying phones just by looking at the 5G tag, but they are also looking at what they can get for less money. Strong features are available.
According to a new report by research firm Counterpoint, the overall smartphone market may be slightly down, but an increase of 3% can be seen in the shipment of 4G phones this year. If we talk about the figures, the share of 4G in the smartphone market was only 11% in 2025, but it is expected to increase to 13% in 2026 and by 2027 it can reach 15%. This clearly shows that That 4G isn’t going anywhere right now.
The biggest change is being seen in the price range of Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000. In this budget in 2025, only 2 brands were making 4G phones, but now in 2026, about 12 smartphone companies are launching new 4G models in this range. According to Prachir Singh, senior analyst at Counterpoint, this recovery of 4G is not limited to just cheap or entry-level phones. Buyers of this mid-budget segment now prefer to buy a 4G phone with a good display, good battery and great camera instead of spending extra money for 5G.
There has been a decline of 11% in India’s overall smartphone shipments in the June quarter. The biggest reason for this is that the parts used in smartphones, especially memory components, have become very expensive. When parts became expensive, companies had to increase the prices of phones. As the prices increased, buyers from the budget segment, keeping in mind their pockets, started staying away from expensive 5G phones.
Sumit Singh, Senior VP and Product Head of Indian smartphone brand Lava International, said that it has become very difficult to make a 5G phone in a budget of less than Rs 15,000 which does not have to compromise on the features. He said that the rates of components in the market have increased a lot, but the purchasing power of the common customer has not increased accordingly. According to Sumit Singh, the customer does not just want the cheapest phone, but he also wants a phone which is value for money. It should be good, with strong specifications and a good long-lasting experience.
Not only Lava, but big brands like Xiaomi, Infinix and Realme have also launched new 4G phones in the market this year. Counterpoint’s Research Director Tarun Pathak believes that this change is not a short-term trend. The prices of components are not going to come down so soon. Therefore, the only option left for companies is to offer 4G phones with more features at a lower price. Indian buyers are also now giving importance to the overall performance of the entire phone instead of just running behind 5G network speed. This is why 4G phones are now a sensible option. Has become a complete and value-for-money option.