Apple leads smartphone market in 2025 with biggest share as global shipments rose 2%

Like 2024 when the it shipped the most smartphones globally, Apple has maintained its streak of shipping the most smartphones in 2025 as global smartphone shipments rose by 2% year-on-year in 2025.

The slight uptick in phone sales are largely driven by stronger demand and economic growth in emerging markets, Reuters reported, citing data issued by Counterpoint Research.

The iPhone maker maintained its position as the market leader with a 20% share in 2025, the highest among the top five brands.

This landmark feat is courtesy of robust demand in major and mid-sized mobile phone markets and strong sales of the iPhone 17 series, as noted by analyst Varun Mishra.

Manufacturers advanced shipments early in the year to avoid tariffs, but the impact remained negligilbe as 2025 came to a close, leaving volumes in the second half largely unaffected.

Samsung managed at the second position with a 19% share after seeing modest growth in shipments, while Xiaomi came third with a 13% share, backed by consistent demand in emerging markets.

But the upward trend seems to have run its course as the global smartphone market is projected to collapse in 2026 due to chip shortages and rising component costs.

Counterpoint's Research Director Tarun Pathak suggested that chipmakers are increasingly prioritising AI data centres over smartphone production, a move believed to adversely affect smartphone availability in 2026.

As the market is aligning strategies with challenges at hand, smartphone makers might need to reassess their approaches to maintain growth and meet consumer demands.