Global Smartphone Shipments Surge 4% in Q4 2025, Apple Leads the Market

Global smartphone shipments experienced a 4% increase in Q4 2025, demonstrating the market's ability to adapt to rising component costs. Preliminary data from Omdia indicates that Apple emerged as the dominant player, achieving a record 25% market share. This indicates that one in every four smartphones shipped in the final quarter of 2025 was an iPhone.

Such results are not unexpected, given the sustained demand for the iPhone 17 series since its launch in September. The holiday season also bolstered sales of older models like the 16 series, with the base iPhone 17 being the primary growth contributor.

Apple iPhone 17

Samsung claimed second place with an estimated 18% share of total shipments during the quarter. In contrast to Apple, which focuses primarily on premium devices, Samsung's performance was predominantly driven by its sub-$300 smartphones, including the Galaxy A17 4G and A17 5G, which were recognized as significant volume contributors.

Samsung Galaxy A17

Samsung Galaxy A17 5G

Xiaomi ranked third with an 11% market share, followed closely by vivo and Oppo, both at 8%. Looking forward, increasing memory costs and component shortages are expected to pose significant challenges for smartphone manufacturers in 2026, particularly those focused on the budget segment.

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