Apple and Samsung ended 2025 in a dead heat, with both companies producing nearly 240 million smartphones and sharing the top spot in global production. That result says a lot about how the market moved through the year, because strong flagship launches, price strategy, and government-backed demand all helped lift output even as cost pressure started building in the background.
Global smartphone production reached about 1.254 billion units in 2025, which marked a 2.5% year-over-year increase. The market got an early boost from China’s subsidy programs in the first half of the year, and then the usual wave of flagship launches pushed production higher in the second half. Apple, in particular, picked up speed late in the year after the iPhone 17 lineup arrived.
TrendForce said Apple and Samsung “tied for the top position in global smartphone production” in 2025, while the broader market posted modest annual growth. The research firm also said Apple’s fourth quarter output jumped sharply after the iPhone 17 launch, which helped the company close the year at the top alongside Samsung.
“Global smartphone production reached 337 million units in 4Q25, rising 2.7% QoQ, and was supported by strong shipments of Apple’s new iPhone lineup.”
Apple thrived late in the year
Apple’s late-year surge stood out because the iPhone 17 series appears to have landed at the right price. TrendForce said the lineup benefited from “well-positioned retail pricing,” and that helped drive strong market performance. That detail matters because pricing now looks even more important as brands head into a tougher 2026.
Samsung matched Apple’s annual production total and stayed in a strong position with its mix of premium devices and deeper supply chain control. Meanwhile, Xiaomi ranked third with close to 170 million units, followed by OPPO with 143 million. Vivo, Transsion, Honor, and Lenovo also remained among the biggest smartphone makers of the year.
The next year looks far less comfortable. TrendForce expects rising memory prices to push smartphone production costs higher and drag global output down by at least 10% to around 1.135 billion units in 2026. That leaves brands with a hard choice: raise prices or cut specifications, with entry-level phones likely to face the biggest pressure.
