By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, January 12, 2026 - Apple has emerged as the world’s leading smartphone maker in 2025, capturing a 20 per cent share of global shipments and overtaking long-time rival Samsung, according to a new industry report by Counterpoint Research.
The findings highlight a shifting competitive landscape in the smartphone industry, buoyed by strong demand for premium devices and growth in emerging markets. Global smartphone shipments rose about 2 per cent year-on-year in 2025, driven by stronger demand and improving economic conditions, particularly in emerging and mid-sized markets, Counterpoint said.
Apple’s performance was underpinned by robust sales of its iPhone 17 series, which resonated with consumers in regions from Asia to Africa and Latin America. “Apple led the market with a 20 per cent share, the largest among the top five brands,” said Varun Mishra, an analyst at Counterpoint.
The company’s success reflects not only strong product appeal but also its ability to tap into replacement cycles as millions of smartphone users upgrade devices first bought earlier in the decade. Samsung ranked second with a 19 per cent share in 2025, achieving modest shipment growth as it continued to rely on its familiar Galaxy portfolio across premium and mid-range segments.
Xiaomi came in third with about 13 per cent market share, supported by steady demand in developing markets where cost-effective smartphones remain popular. Industry observers note that smartphone makers front-loaded shipments earlier in the year to navigate potential tariff changes, but this effect eased in the second half of 2025, leaving late- year volumes largely unaffected.
Apple’s leadership was striking given Samsung’s dominance in global shipments over the last decade. The iPhone maker’s strong performance was buoyed by growing adoption in markets such as India, Southeast Asia and parts of Africa, regions where rising incomes and increased financing options have expanded access to premium devices.
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Analysts say that Apple’s product cycle timing, with the iPhone 17 launched in late 2025, helped capture replacement demand from smartphone users whose previous devices were nearing end-of-life, particularly in developed and middle-income markets.
Despite the upbeat 2025 figures, the global smartphone market is expected to soften in 2026, according to Counterpoint research director Tarun Pathak. The industry anticipates slowing shipment growth as chip shortages and rising component costs, particularly memory and other key parts, put pressure on handset makers and shift some production priorities toward data center technologies and artificial intelligence hardware.
Chip shortages and rising costs could leave manufacturers with difficult choices about device pricing and production volumes, a trend echoed by other industry forecasts that see possible declines in shipments next year as average selling prices increase. The smartphone sector has been navigating broader economic and supply-chain challenges since the pandemic pulled forward many upgrades and disrupted global production networks.
Cost spikes for DRAM and NAND memory, essential smartphone components, are expected to continue into 2026, potentially reducing shipment volumes, especially in price-sensitive segments. Nevertheless, Apple’s strong showing, driven by premium device demand and diversified market penetration, reaffirms its strategic strength in a highly competitive industry.
Samsung and Chinese rivals such as Xiaomi, OPPO and vivo remain significant contenders, particularly in mid-range and budget segments, but Apple’s ability to capture one-fifth of the global market underscores the resilience of the premium smartphone segment.
