Global Smartphone Shipments Grew 2% YoY in 2025; Apple Emerged as Market Leader
- Global smartphone shipments grew 2% YoY in 2025, driven by increasing premium demand and improving momentum in key emerging markets.
- Apple led the global smartphone market with 20% share and 10% YoY growth, the highest among the top five brands.
- Samsung grew 5% YoY with 19% market share, driven by steady growth in its Galaxy A series and continued traction of Galaxy S and Z series in the premium segment.
- 2026 outlook remains conservative due to sharp rise in memory shortages and prices.
Seoul, Beijing, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Fort Collins, Hong Kong, London, New Delhi, Taipei, Tokyo – December 12, 2025
Global smartphone shipments grew for the second consecutive year in 2025, registering 2% YoY growth, according to preliminary estimates from Counterpoint Research’s Market Monitor. The market sustained its growth momentum throughout 2025, primarily driven by premiumization facilitated by financing options and effective marketing, and the increasing adoption of 5G devices in emerging markets.
Commenting on the market, Senior Analyst Shilpi Jain said, “In 2025, the smartphone market continued its gradual shift toward higher price tiers, driven by consumers upgrading to premium devices. Concurrently, demand for 5G handsets rose sharply across developing regions. 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. For the entire 2025, growth remained uneven across regions. Markets such as Japan, Middle East and Africa (MEA) and certain parts of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) offset the weakness in mature markets.”
In Q4 2025, smartphone shipments closed the year on a modest note, growing by 1% YoY owing to inventory built up in previous quarters. Apple led the quarter, accounting for one-fourth of global shipments, its highest-ever share, followed by Samsung at 19%.
Global Smartphone Sell-in Shipment Share for Top 5 Brands, 2023 – 2025 (preliminary)
Source: Counterpoint Research’s preliminary Market Monitor report (based on sell-in)
Notes: OPPO includes OnePlus. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Apple led the global smartphone market in 2025 with 20% share and 10% YoY shipment growth, the highest among the top five brands. Commenting on Apple’s performance, Senior Analyst Varun Mishra said, “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. 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. This dual momentum was further amplified by the COVID‑era upgrade cycle reaching its inflection point, as millions of users were due for replacement.”
Samsung, with 19% market share and modest 5% YoY shipment growth, took the second spot in 2025. Its growth was driven by the Galaxy A series, supported by mid-range demand, while the Galaxy Fold7 and S25 series drove traction in premium segments, outperforming their predecessors. While Samsung is under pressure in Latin America and Western Europe, its 2025 growth was aided by strong momentum in Japan and sustained growth in its core markets.
Xiaomi retained the third spot with 13% market share, showing stable performance supported by its premiumization strategy, resilient demand in emerging markets, and balanced product mix across flagship and mid-tier devices. Strong execution in Latin America and MEA, coupled with effective channel management, helped sustain shipments despite industry headwinds.
vivo came in fourth, with a 3% YoY growth driven by its premiumization strategy, strong offline execution in India, and a streamlined product portfolio that captured both high-value upgrades and resilient mid-tier demand. OPPO, on the other hand, declined 4% YoY due to weak demand and fierce competition in its home market China and the Asia-Pacific. Though it grew in markets like India and the MEA, that was insufficient to offset declines in other regions. With moves afoot to integrate realme into OPPO, the 2025 shipment share for the combined entity will be 11%, taking fourth position in the global smartphone market.
Outside the top five, Nothing and Google did well, recording 31% and 25% YoY growth, respectively, in 2025.
Commenting on outlook, 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. Price hikes in smartphones have already begun to surface. Against this backdrop, we have revised our forecast for 2026 by reducing shipment estimates by 3%. Though the supply crunch will weigh on shipments, Apple and Samsung are likely to remain resilient, supported by stronger supply chain capabilities and premium market positioning, whereas Chinese OEMs concentrated in lower‑price segments will face greater pressure.”
About Counterpoint Research
Counterpoint Research is a global market research firm specializing in products across the technology ecosystem. We advise a diverse range of clients – from smartphone OEMs to chipmakers and channel players to Big Tech – through our offices located in the world's major innovation hubs, manufacturing clusters and commercial centers. Our analyst team, led by seasoned experts, engages with stakeholders across the enterprise – from the C-suite to professionals in strategy, analyst relations (AR), market intelligence (MI), business intelligence (BI), product and marketing – to deliver services spanning market data, industry thought leadership and consulting. Our core areas of coverage include AI, Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Displays, eSIM, IoT, Location Platforms, Macroeconomics, Manufacturing, Networks and Infrastructure, Semiconductors, Smartphones and Wearables. Visit our Insights page to explore our publicly available market data, insights and thought leadership, and to understand our focus, meet our analysts and start a conversation.
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Author
Shilpi Jain
Shilpi is a Senior Analyst with Counterpoint Research, based out of Gurgaon. She has more than 9 years of work experience in consulting and market research field. She closely tracks mobile devices and ecosystem at Counterpoint and led various research and consulting projects. She holds a Master's in Business Administration from Fore School of Management, specializing in Finance, and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Daulat Ram College, Delhi University.
Varun Mishra
Varun is a Principal Analyst at Counterpoint Research based out of Gurgaon. In Counterpoint, he closely tracks mobile devices and ecosystem with a focus on Apple. He started his career as a Consultant with Infosys Limited where he was able to identify strategic avenues for business growth through deep research and analysis of markets and companies in various domains. He holds a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad and a bachelor's degree from Coventry University, UK.
Tarun Pathak
Tarun is a Research Director with Counterpoint Research, based out of Gurgaon (near New Delhi). Tarun has 10 years of work experience with a key focus on the evolving mobile device ecosystem with specialties in Emerging Markets. He understands specific mobile industry nuances, helping clients to navigate through the rapidly changing technological trends. As a Telecom Analyst he has been quoted extensively by the leading media platforms. Tarun holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management, specializing in International Business from the Amity International Business School and is a graduate in Physical Sciences from Jammu University, Jammu in the northern Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir.