Apple emerged as the leader in global smartphone shipments in 2025, capturing a 20% market share and recording a strong 10% year-on-year (YoY) growth. This performance placed Apple at the top among the five leading brands, driven largely by sustained demand for the iPhone 16 and the successful launch of the iPhone 17 series in the fourth quarter. According to Counterpoint Research, Apple’s expansion into emerging and mid-sized markets, alongside a stronger product mix, played a critical role in its growth. Senior Analyst Varun Mishra added that sales of the iPhone 16 and 17 benefited from an inflection point in the COVID-era upgrade cycle, prompting millions of users to replace older devices.

The iPhone 17 series, unveiled at Apple’s 2025 event, comprises the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. Launched a year after the iPhone 16 lineup, the new devices feature a highly powerful and efficient chip, reinforcing Apple’s strategy to deepen its dominance in the global smartphone market through premium innovation and performance upgrades.

Samsung followed closely in second place, securing a 19% market share and achieving a 5% YoY growth in 2025. The company’s performance was driven primarily by the popularity of its Galaxy A series, alongside strong traction for the Galaxy Fold7 and S25 series, which outperformed their predecessors. While Samsung faced sales pressure in regions such as Latin America and Western Europe, this was offset by solid momentum in Japan, which helped sustain overall growth.

Xiaomi ranked third with a 13% market share and flat YoY growth. Its strong footprint in Latin America and the Middle East and Africa (MEA), combined with effective channel management, helped stabilize shipments despite challenging market conditions. Vivo placed fourth with an 8% market share and 3% YoY growth, supported by strong offline execution in India. OPPO, despite posting a 4% YoY decline due to weak demand and intense competition in China and the broader Asia-Pacific region, maintained an 8% market share. Outside the top five, emerging brands such as Nothing and Google recorded notable expansion, achieving 31% and 25% YoY growth respectively in 2025.

Overall, global smartphone shipments grew by 2% YoY in 2025, marking the second consecutive year of expansion, though at a slower pace than the 4% growth recorded in 2024. Growth was largely driven by consumer upgrades to premium devices and rising demand for 5G smartphones across developing markets. Senior Analyst Shilpi Jain of Counterpoint Research explained that while tariff concerns initially led OEMs to front-load shipments in the first half of the year, the actual impact proved milder than expected, limiting its effect on second-half volumes. She also noted that growth remained uneven, with strength in Japan, MEA, and parts of Asia-Pacific offsetting weakness in more mature markets.

Looking ahead to 2026, the global smartphone market is expected to face upward pricing pressure. This anticipated increase is linked to shortages in DRAM and NAND components, alongside rising costs as chipmakers prioritize AI data center demand over smartphones. Apple and Samsung are projected to remain resilient due to their strong supply chains and established premium positioning, while Chinese manufacturers focused on lower-priced segments are likely to face mounting pressure in an increasingly cost-constrained market.