Apple emerged as the leader in global smartphone shipments in 2025, securing a 20% market share and demonstrating a 10% year-on-year (YoY) growth. This robust performance positioned Apple at the top among the five leading brands, driven primarily by the continued strong presence of the iPhone 16 and the successful launch of the iPhone 17 series in Q4. Counterpoint Research highlighted that Apple's expansion into emerging and mid-size markets, coupled with a stronger product mix, significantly contributed to its growth. Senior Analyst Varun Mishra further noted that the sales performance of the iPhone 16 and 17 was amplified by an inflection point in the COVID-era upgrade cycle, prompting millions of users to replace their devices.

The iPhone 17 series, unveiled at Apple's 2025 event, includes the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. These devices, launched a year after the iPhone 16, feature a highly powerful and efficient chip, underscoring Apple's strategy to extend its dominance in the global smartphone market.

Following Apple, Samsung secured the second position with a 19% market share and a 5% YoY shipment growth in 2025. Samsung's success was largely attributed to its popular Galaxy A series, including the Galaxy Fold7 and S25 series, which garnered significant traction and outperformed their predecessors. Despite facing sales pressure in regions like Latin America and Western Europe, Samsung's growth was buoyed by strong momentum in Japan.

Xiaomi ranked third, maintaining a 13% market share with 0% YoY growth. Its substantial presence in Latin America and the Middle East and Africa (MEA), alongside effective channel management, helped sustain the company's shipments amidst challenging industry conditions. Vivo claimed fourth place, achieving an 8% market share and 3% YoY growth, propelled by its robust offline execution in India. OPPO, despite experiencing a 4% YoY decline due to weak demand and intense competition in its home market of China and the Asia-Pacific, still held an 8% market share. Outside the top five, emerging players like Nothing and Google demonstrated remarkable growth, recording 31% and 25% YoY growth, respectively, in 2025.

Overall, global smartphone shipments witnessed a 2% YoY growth in 2025, marking the second consecutive year of expansion, though it was less than the 4% YoY growth observed in 2024. This growth was largely fueled by consumers upgrading to premium devices and a significant surge in demand for 5G devices across developing regions. Senior Analyst Shilpi Jain from Counterpoint Research explained that while tariff-related concerns initially led OEMs to front-load shipments in H1, the impact of tariffs proved milder than anticipated as the year progressed, reducing their influence on H2 volumes. Jain also highlighted that growth remained uneven across regions throughout 2025, with markets such as Japan, MEA, and parts of Asia-Pacific offsetting weaknesses in more mature markets.

Looking ahead to 2026, the global smartphone market is anticipated to experience a price surge. This projected price hike is linked to shortages in DRAM/NAND components and increasing component costs, as chipmakers prioritize the demands of AI data centers over smartphones. Furthermore, Apple and Samsung are expected to maintain their resilience, benefiting from their robust supply chain capacities and established premium market positioning. Conversely, Chinese manufacturers, primarily focused on lower-price segments, are predicted to face increased pressure in the evolving market landscape.