In the final quarter of 2025, smartphone shipments rose by a minimal 1%. For the full year, global shipments were up 2%, according to preliminary data by Counterpoint Research. To put a positive spin on it, this was the second consecutive year of growth.
As expected, Apple became the biggest smartphone maker globally with a 20% share – in other words, 1 in every 5 smartphones shipped in 2025 had the Apple logo on its back. Indeed, Apple shipments grew the most (among the Top 5) during the year, going up 10% year-on-year.
The older iPhone 16 performed well in Japan, India and Southeast Asia, while the new iPhone 17 series saw rising demand. As one reason for a strong year of sales, Counterpoint points to the COVID era, which shook up the upgrade cycle and left millions of users in need of an upgrade in 2025.
Samsung had to settle for #2, but its 5% growth was solid compared to the rest of the Top 5. The Galaxy S25 series along with the Galaxy Z Fold7 sold better than their predecessors, which boosted Samsung in the premium segment. Meanwhile, growing demand for the Galaxy A-series boosted Samsung in the mid-range segment.
Xiaomi maintained its 3rd place with a steady 13% market share. South America and Southeast Asia were key markets for the company.
vivo grew 3% and swapped places with Oppo, which fell 4%. Here’s the analysts’ explanation for the swap – vivo saw strong demand for its phones in India, while Oppo struggled with tough competition in China and the Asia-Pacific.
While they were outside of the Top 5, Counterpoint highlighted Nothing and Google, which grew 31% and 25%, respectively, during the full year 2025.
As for what comes next, well, the crazy memory prices can break the streak of yearly growth. 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%.”
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