Apple led the global smartphone market in 2025, taking a 20% share and posting 10% year over year shipment growth. That growth rate ranked highest among the top five smartphone brands.
Counterpoint Research said global smartphone shipments rose 2% in 2025, marking the second straight year of growth. The firm linked the improvement to more people using financing options to upgrade to premium phones. It also pointed to wider 5G adoption in emerging markets.
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Samsung finished second with a 19% market share and 5% shipment growth. Xiaomi held third place with a 13% share.
What Drove Apple’s Lead
Counterpoint senior analyst Varun Mishra said Apple benefited from stronger demand in emerging and mid-size markets and a better product mix.
“Apple’s growth in 2025 was driven by its expanding presence and rising demand across emerging and mid-size markets, supported by a stronger product mix,” Mishra said.
He added that two iPhone lineups helped Apple across different regions. “The iPhone 17 series gained significant traction in Q4 following its successful launch, while the iPhone 16 continued to perform exceptionally well in Japan, India, and Southeast Asia.”
Counterpoint also said the pandemic-era upgrade cycle hit an inflection point, bringing more users into the replacement window. In Q4 2025, Apple accounted for one quarter of global shipments, which the report described as its highest ever quarterly share.
The Market Grew, But Not Everywhere
The overall market kept its momentum through 2025, but growth varied by region. Senior Analyst Shilpi Jain said the market continued to shift toward higher price tiers as consumers moved to premium devices. She also said 5G demand rose across developing regions.
“In 2025, the smartphone market continued its gradual shift toward higher price tiers, driven by consumers upgrading to premium devices,” Jain said. “Concurrently, demand for 5G handsets rose sharply across developing regions.”
Jain also addressed tariffs and the way companies managed shipments earlier in the year. “Tariff-related concerns prompted OEMs to front-load shipments in H1, but as the year advanced, the impact of tariffs proved milder than anticipated, curbing their influence on H2 volumes.”
Other Brands Performance
Counterpoint said Samsung’s growth came from strong demand in its Galaxy A series, while its foldables and premium models helped in higher-end segments. It also noted pressure in parts of Latin America and Western Europe, alongside stronger momentum in Japan and steadier growth in its core markets.
Xiaomi stayed stable as it pushed premiumization and kept a balanced mix across flagship and mid-tier devices. It also highlighted strong execution in Latin America and Southeast Asia.
Vivo ranked fourth, posting 3% growth driven by premiumization and strong offline performance in India. It said OPPO declined 4% due to weaker demand and heavier competition in China and parts of the Asia Pacific.
Outside the top five, Counterpoint said Nothing and Google recorded strong growth in 2025, at 31% and 25% year over year, respectively.
Counterpoint’s 2026 Outlook Looks Cautious
It is expected that the smartphone market will soften in 2026 due to rising supply constraints and component costs.
Counterpoint research director Tarun Pathak said, “The global smartphone market is set to soften in 2026 amid DRAM/NAND shortages and rising component costs, as chipmakers prioritize AI data centers over smartphones.”
He added that price increases have already started to appear, and the firm lowered its 2026 shipment outlook. “Against this backdrop, we have revised our forecast for 2026 by reducing shipment estimates by 3%.”
Pathak said Apple and Samsung should hold up better than rivals because of stronger supply chains and premium positioning, while brands focused on lower price tiers face more pressure.
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