Realme India banks on refreshed smartphone portfolio, premium push to gain share: Francis Wong
Realme
said it has adopted a leaner smartphone portfolio in India, and expects its mid-premium and premium models to drive growth in the latter half of 2025 and in 2026, following several quarters of volume declines.
'In 2025, we initiated a strategic portfolio reboot to simplify and strengthen our product lineup, focusing on three core series – the GT Series, the Number Series, and the P Series,'
Francis Wong
, chief marketing officer (CMO),
Realme India
, told
ETTelecom
.
'We have already begun implementing this focused strategy and the results are becoming visible. Consumers can expect a tighter, more purposeful lineup in the coming quarters,' he added.
The top executive cited that the brand has removed the 'Plus' variants from its recently launched Realme 15 series, and will instead power its 'Pro' models with top-of-the-line features.
'The GT Series is positioned for premium innovation. The Number Series remains our offline backbone, and the P Series continues to lead our online-first momentum,' Wong said, noting that the 'portfolio reset' aims to simplify choices for consumers, reduce redundancy, and deliver more consistency in both product experience and positioning.
Realme India market share
Realme ranked fourth in India's smartphone market (by volume) in the April-June 2025 quarter with a 10% share, which was, however down from the 13% share it held in the corresponding quarter last year. Canalys, in a separate report, said Realme's shipments fell by 17% year-on-year to 3.6 million units in Q2 2025.
Canalys noted that a softness in Realme's online channel was partially offset by offline gains from the C73, C75 and 14X, cumulatively contributing 35% of its shipments. Counterpoint, too, said that Realme has also been strengthening its offline presence to boost visibility and scale higher average selling price (ASP) models.
In the quarter, Realme expanded into the ultra-premium segment by launching its GT 7 Dream Edition in India at ₹49,999 (16GB RAM+512GB memory). The co-branded smartphone, aimed at younger buyers, features a premium Aston Martin Racing Green finish, Aerodynamic Flow lines design, and an engraved Silver Wings Emblem.
According to the top executive, Realme is scaling up its GT-series equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) features to deepen its premium segment push, while mainline channel-focused Number-series continues to be a volume driver, and ecommerce-driven P-series is aimed at young professionals and students.
'By democratising the premium experience and streamlining our offerings, we believe our revised product strategy sets a strong foundation for 2025 and 2026,' Wong said.
He revealed that the Realme P3 Ultra 5G topped the pre-order charts, shipping over 3 million units globally, and the Realme 15 series saw a 30% increase in sales over the previous generation, with the majority of the growth driven by stronger offline traction.
'These results show that our offline retail investments and design-first product thinking are paying off. We expect the 15 Series to drive continued growth through the festive season and further strengthen our position in the mid-premium segment,' he said, adding that Realme is expanding its premium offline footprint to support GT growth through large-format retail (LFR) and curated experiences.
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