Performance-First Youth Market: 86% Prioritise Speed, 82% Switch for Features; Realme Leads Recommendations at 79%, says CMR

Performance-First Youth Market: 86% Prioritise Speed, 82% Switch for Features; Realme Leads Recommendations at 79%, says CMR

Picture of Prabhu Ram, Head - Industry Intelligence Group

Prabhu Ram, Head - Industry Intelligence Group

Gurugram/Delhi. 24 Nov 2025: A new study by CyberMedia Research (CMR) reveals that India’s youth are increasingly choosing performance-first smartphones (INR 7,000 – INR 24,999) that deliver on speed, battery life and camera quality, while design appeal and online validation strongly influence brand switching.

The CMR Mobile Industry Consumer Insight Study 2025, based on inputs from 2,056 consumers from across eight major Indian cities, captures the attitudes and behaviours of India’s digital natives aged 18–35 years. 5G readiness (86%), battery endurance (82%), and camera quality (81%) have emerged as non-negotiable requirements. Youth report that slow or laggy performance directly affects their social image, academic tasks, gaming performance, and work productivity.

According to Sourabh Pandey, Analyst–Industry Consulting Group (ICG), CyberMedia Research (CMR),“What emerges from the study is a fundamental reset in youth smartphone behaviour. Performance has become emotional stability — when a device lags, heats up, or drains quickly, it affects not just tasks but mood, confidence, and social presence. Youth expect their phones to deliver seamless speed, sustained battery endurance, thermal control, and consistent camera performance across every hour of the day. Performance increasingly outweighs brand loyalty, reshaping how smartphones are evaluated and chosen.”

As such, smartphone switching is driven primarily by aspiration, not dissatisfaction—powered by better features (82%), premium aesthetic design (79%), superior value-for-money pricing (67%), and peer influence (51%).

In brand metrics, Samsung leads overall awareness at 92%, followed by Vivo (89%) and Realme (79%).
In terms of youth satisfaction, Realme leads at 96%, followed closely by Vivo (95%) and OPPO (94%).
Realme also takes the top position in brand advocacy and customer loyalty (79%), ahead of Vivo (69%) and OPPO (65%), signalling strong resonance among young consumers who value performance, design and reliability.

“Realme’s strong momentum in 2025 reflects a combination of performance value and cultural relevance. Young users are very clear about why they choose the brand — better specifications, premium design cues, and a price-to-performance equation that feels honest. With 77% acknowledging Realme’s youth-focused positioning and faster online purchase experiences, the brand clearly understands digital-native buyers. CMR’s supply-side trends reinforce these consumer insights, with Realme experiencing a 30% QoQ shipment growth in Q3 2025,” added Menka Kumari, Analyst–Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CyberMedia Research (CMR).

Key Study Findings

1. Performance Has Become Emotional Stability

  • India’s youth are demanding faster, more capable devices that match intense daily usage.
  • 86% prioritise raw speed/performance to support constant multitasking across social media, entertainment, payments, studies and gaming.
  • 5G readiness (86%) and camera capability (81%) are now baseline expectations.
  • Performance lag is no longer a minor inconvenience—youth report it affecting social interactions, gaming outcomes, academic tasks and daily productivity.

2. Battery Anxiety Is Widespread and Behaviour-Shaping

  • Overheating (42%) and fast battery drain (40%) cause persistent worry.
  • Youth modify daily behaviour—avoiding certain apps, carrying power banks, or delaying charging to reduce heat buildup.
  • Concerns extend to long-term battery health, slower charging cycles and device ageing.

3. Camera Quality Is Self-Expression Technology

  • 81% identify camera performance as a core purchase driver, especially for low-light, indoor and social scenarios.
  • Cameras enable personal branding via reels, video calls, vlogging, and social identity creation.

4. Online Influence Drives Trust, Discovery and Decisions

  • Youth rely heavily on YouTube reviews, creator breakdowns, community opinions and peer references.
  • Continuous visibility across online and offline channels matters more than legacy credentials.
  • Even satisfied users switch brands if they perceive better performance/value elsewhere.

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Note for Editors:

The CMR MICI Survey 2025 is based on the voice of 2056 Indian youth in the age group of 18 to 35, cutting across eight cities of India, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai,  Hyderabad,  Ahmedabad, and Pune.

For results based on a randomly chosen sample of this size, there is 95% confidence that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 3% of what they would be if the entire population had been surveyed.