91mobiles Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey 2026: a summary
The Indian television industry is estimated to reach 30.4 million units in 2026, up from 20 million units in 2022, per Statista. With the amount of entertainment content at people’s disposal, a TV’s picture quality becomes of utmost importance. This is why over 50 percent respondents in the 91mobiles Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey 2026 carefully evaluate a TV’s viewing experience before making a purchase. To understand more such aspects, we at 91mobiles conducted a survey in which over 3,000 participants shared their TV-buying journey, their preferred brand, and the most important attributes they look for in a TV.
With the final data in our hands, garnered from the participants’ responses, here’s a summary of the final survey report.
Table of Contents
Trends in smart TV ownership
- When it comes to the TVs currently sitting in Indian households, premium legacy brands, such as Sony, LG, and Samsung, continue to command a massive chunk of the market.
- Per the survey report, 15.4 percent of participants currently own a Sony TV. LG follows closely behind with 14.3 percent, while Samsung holds a solid 13.8 percent ownership share.
- Brands like Xiaomi and TCL, known for coming up with high-end TVs at value prices, secure an ownership share of 7.9 percent and 7.2 per cent, respectively. The remaining 41.4 percent is split among various other brands
- When asked about their future purchase intentions, the survey takers’ preferences lean toward premium-tier brands, such as Sony and LG. That said, 19.2 percent of respondents plan to choose Sony for their next TV purchase.
- As detailed in a dedicated report, LG ranks as the second most preferred TV brand, with over 16 percent participants willing to purchase a smart TV from LG. Such a high preference ranking could be due to trust in the brand’s after-sales services, user experience, superior display output, and other factors.
- Next is Samsung, with 12.6 percent of participants willing to purchase a TV from teh brand, while 9.7 percent are considering TCL-branded TVs.
- Sony leads the pack with a 59.2% customer retention rate, meaning nearly 6 in 10 current Sony owners plan to buy from the same brand when they upgrade next.
- LG could retain 51.1 percent of its user base, while TCL TVs are likely to be bought by 49.1 percent of its existing users among the survey takers.
How people decide on a new TV
- The way Indian households interact with their television screens has fundamentally changed, moving away from watching TV shows on air to OTT content.
- As a result, more than half of the respondents (54.5 percent) primarily use their smart TVs to stream content from OTT applications like Netflix, JioHotstar, and Prime Video.
- However, traditional set-top-box content continues to remain the secondary use case for 26.7 percent of users.
- News and general viewing account for 16.3%, while core gaming on TVs makes up a niche 2.4 percent.
- When asked about their TV upgrade frequency, a major chunk of 37.5 percent of participants end up switching to a new TV every five to ten years.
- A quarter of respondents (25.5 percent) upgrade within three to five years, while 25.8 percent hold onto their devices for more than a decade. Only 11.3 percent upgrade frequently within 3 years.
- This also indicates that most people consider TVs a one-time investment and are likely to lean towards premium brands, as seen in the above sections.
- When it comes to purchasing a new TV, 36.5 percent of people upgrade simply because they want to own the latest or a better TV.
- 31.3 percent buy a new one because their current TV is no longer working as well as it used to.
- On the other hand, 15.6 percent are driven by lucrative deals and discounts, while 9.3 percent purchase an extra TV for a second room or a kids’ room.
Aspects that matter most while purchasing a new TV
- When evaluating a television, certain technical specifications drastically outweigh others. This is because an overwhelming 52.2 percent of respondents list picture quality as the most important overall factor when purchasing a TV.
- Currently, the TV market caters to a wide range of audiences based on their preferences and budget. Therefore, we see TVs featuring LCDs and entry-level QLEDs in the affordable range, mini-LED in the midrange segment, and OLED and QD-OLED displays in the premium range.
- The software experience and smart capabilities matter most to 24.7 percent of buyers. As of late, most brands have been prioritising enriching the software experience of their TVs.
- Within the display category, 75.4 percent of respondents consider display technology (such as OLED, FALD, QLED, etc.) to be the single most crucial factor. This completely overshadows refresh rate (12.6 percent) and display size (12 percent).
- When evaluating built-in TV audio, 42.9 percent prioritised a Dolby Atmos or surround sound experience, while dialogue clarity (30.2 percent) and raw loudness (27.9 percent) were also highly valued.
- Interestingly, 20.8% of users rely on external speakers, rendering built-in audio less critical for them.
- 66 percent of people currently own TVs with a screen size of 43-inches and above. In the current market, 43-inch models act as the entry point into true Ultra HD (4K) resolution and advanced smart features without breaking the bank.
- Specifically, 25.1 percent own 43-inch TVs, 19.9 percent own 55-inch models, and 10.3 percent have 50-inch screens. Compact 32-inch or smaller panels still make up 24.4 percent of the market.
How people prefer to purchase a new smart TV
- Per the survey report, the budget and mid-tier segments dominate ownership of smart TV, as 40 percent paid below Rs 30,000 for their current television.
- However, 31.0 percent spent between Rs 30,000 and Rs 50,000, and a combined 29.2 percent spent over Rs 50,000, proving that modern consumers are willing to spend more for premium features.
- When prices are equal, 39.7 percent prefer buying TV offline, 31.6 percent prefer online, and 28.7% aren’t sure which channel they would opt for.
- When a TV is Rs 5,000 cheaper online, over 50 percent of the participants resort to online retailers and e-commerce platforms, while 24.7 percent seek offline deals.
- On the other hand, when a TV is discounted by Rs 5,000 in the offline segment, 49.5 percent purchase a TV from offline retailers.
