Apple Dominates Smartphone Market with 20% Global Share in 2025
In Focus
- Samsung controlled 19% of the global smartphone market
- iPhone shipments grew by 10% in 2025
- Global smartphone shipments rose by 2% during the year
Apple closed 2025 as the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world. According to Yahoo Finance, Apple’s global smartphone market share topped Samsung Electronics’ 19% in the year at 20%. Apple’s lead was reflected by strong iPhone 17 series smartphones and a solid demand for the model in mid-sized and emerging markets.
Apple’s Smartphone Shipments Growth
An important measure of Apple’s premium smartphone market share growth was the rise in its year-on-year. The company’s smartphone shipments grew by 10% in 2025 compared to the global shipments which rose 2%.
Apple recorded the highest shipment growth among the top five smartphone brands in 2025. This growth was supported by Apple’s strong product mix.
“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,” Counterpoint Research analyst Varun Mishra stated in a post on the firm’s website.
Apple unveiled iPhone 17 models in September 2025, but experienced delays in introducing its thinnest phone, the iPhone Air model, to the Chinese market. This delay resulted in a drop in China sales.
Despite the supply chain constraints, Apple expected iPhone 17 demand to boost shipments in the fourth quarter of 2025. In October 2025, analysts had projected strong Q3 earnings driven by iPhone 17 sales.
Global Smartphone Shipments Could Shrink in 2026
Apple could find it challenging to sustain the growth in smartphone shipments in 2026. In its smartphone market outlook 2026, Counterpoint Research projected a 2.1% drop in global shipments this year due to AI chip shortage and rising memory costs.
Starting early 2025, materials cost, which is the price of manufacturing a single smartphone, have risen by 20% to 30% for smartphones priced below $200. In the first quarter of 2026, memory prices are expected to increase by 40%. This could constitute up to 15% of material costs in high-end smartphones like iPhones.
Although these factors will likely affect iPhone selling prices, some analysts hold that planned innovations like the foldable phone might help Apple to maintain its leadership in the smartphone industry.
AI Plans Could Boost Apple’s Smartphone Growth
The other aspect that might boost Apple’s smartphone growth is AI. The U.S. tech giant is planning to upgrade its AI assistant Siri this year, and is reportedly working with Google to develop a customized Gemini AI model.
A formal statement about the partnership between the two companies hasn’t been made yet. When it happens, it will alleviate investor concerns about Apple lagging behind in the AI race. The announcement would also counter the threat posed by Samsung, which has made Gemini its default assist in its latest smartphone lineup.
Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi controlled 13% of the global smartphone market in 2025.
