Apple grew its share of the market to 69% in Q4 2025, its highest ever and up from 65% a year ago, at the expense of Samsung, which saw its share decline to 13%, down from 18% at the same time last year. Apple’s growth was driven by its latest iPhone 16e and 17 devices in the mid-range and premium segments, as the brand was the key beneficiary of elevated promotional activities at the three biggest US carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon). AT&T had its highest share of Apple sales to date at 89%, while T-Mobile and Verizon both saw Apple share increases compared to Q4 2024. The iPhone 17 Pro Max was the top seller in all three channels.

According to the Counterpoint tracker, Apple was able to tighten its grip on different consumer segments in Q4. The iPhone 16e, in particular, remained popular with buyers in the prepaid and national retail channels, recording its highest sales month to date in December. Churn remains elevated in the US market, a trend witnessed throughout the year, opening the door for Apple to attract buyers across channels and price points.

Commenting on the market’s price band dynamics, Senior Research Analyst Maurice Klaehne said, “Premium devices are generally the major driving factor of sales in Q4 due to the heavy emphasis on postpaid deals. Apple was able to benefit from these deals, as many offers were targeted toward iPhone and iOS device bundles. However, this year the biggest YoY growth came from the mid-range price band ($300-$600), which grew 27% YoY. While it is still a relatively minor segment of the overall market, this growth shows that consumers are opting for more budget-friendly devices due to current macroeconomic conditions. This has helped Apple and Google gain higher shares in this segment with their iPhone 16e and Pixel 9a devices, respectively. Samsung and Motorola, on the other hand, lost share in the segment due to the increased competition.”

US Smartphone Market Share (Sales, Q4 2024 vs Q4 2025)

Note: Figures may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Klaehne added, “The sub-$300 smartphone market declined 7% YoY because of continued low-end consolidation and weaker demand for these devices. However, a bright spot of growth in the market has been Motorola, which overtook Samsung as the #1 smartphone OEM in the sub-$300 segment. Motorola strategically launched the Moto G Play 2026 and Moto G 5G 2026 during Q4, lifting sales for the OEM in a quarter where prepaid devices generally aren’t launched.”

A key trend to watch in 2026 is how skyrocketing memory prices will impact the already struggling sub-$300 segment OEMs. The Bill of Materials (BOM) will likely increase by 15% or more in the next two quarters for many OEMs. These memory price shocks will have the biggest impact on low-end devices and may further squeeze OEMs in an already consolidating market segment. Margins in this price segment are already stretched to the max, and any further component price increases are likely to be passed on to buyers.

Another key trend to watch will be whether the growth in the $300-$600 segment continues into 2026, away from holiday purchases. Further growth here and a slowdown in the premium segment would indicate a wider trend of users “buying down” as the macroeconomic situation in the US is likely to remain uncertain for some time.

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.