Apple Overtakes Samsung, Bags Highest Global Smartphone Market Share In 2025

Apple dominated the global smartphone market in 2025 logging a 20% market share and 10% year-on-year shipment growth, according to data from a report by Counterpoints Research.

Apple narrowly beat Samsung, which had 19% market share and having the most compared to the top five brands.

Apple’s growth in 2025 was spurred by it expanding its product line and tapping the increasing demand within emerging and mid‑size markets, on the back of a stronger product mix, according to senior analyst Varun Mishra.

"The iPhone 17 series gained significant traction in the fourth quarter following its successful launch, while the iPhone 16 continued to perform exceptionally well in Japan, India and Southeast Asia. This dual momentum was further amplified by the COVID‑era upgrade cycle reaching its inflection point, as millions of users were due for replacement," Mishra said.

Samsung saw a 5% YoY shipment growth, with its growth led by the Galaxy A series, also due to mid-range demand, whereas the Galaxy Fold7 and S25 series aided the company in its premium segments performance, outdoing its predecessors.

The report noted that Samsung was under pressure in Latin America and Western Europe, and that its 2025 growth was buoyed by strong sales momentum in Japan and continued growth in its core markets.

Xiaomi took the third spot with 13% market share due to steady performance stemming from its premiumisation strategy and balanced product mix between its flagship and mid-segment products.

Vivo came in at number four, with a 3% YoY growth also owing to its premiumization strategy as well as strong offline execution in India, and a diversified line of offerings that targeted both "high-value upgrades" and "resilient mid-tier" demand.

OPPO was at number 5, reducing 4% YoY, dragged down by wavering demand and stronger competition in its home market China and the Asia-Pacific.

The organisation also revised its previous 2026 forecasts and reduced shipment estimates by 3%, owing to the supply crunch of memory of digital devices caused by AI technology

"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. Price hikes in smartphones have already begun to surface," Research Director Tarun Pathak said

The report stated the supply crunch will weigh on shipments, projecting that Apple and Samsung will hold out against this market force, due to stronger supply chain capabilities and premium market positioning.

It stated that the segment most likely to face "greater pressure" are Chinese original equipment manufacturers concentrated in lower‑price segments.

Global smartphone shipments also grew for the second straight year seeing 2% YoY growth in 2025.

"In 2025, the smartphone market continued its gradual shift toward higher price tiers, driven by consumers upgrading to premium devices," Senior Analyst Shilpi Jain said.

"Concurrently, demand for 5G handsets rose sharply across developing regions. Tariff-related concerns prompted OEMs to front-load shipments in the first half , but as the year advanced, the impact of tariffs proved milder than anticipated, curbing their influence on second half volumes," she added.