Apple’s iPhone Captures Nearly 25% of Global Smartphone Market Share
In 2025, Apple’s iPhone solidified its position in the global smartphone market, accounting for nearly one in four active devices worldwide. According to Counterpoint Research’s Smartphone Installed Base Tracker, the total number of active smartphones grew by a modest 2% during the year, with Apple and Samsung together representing 44% of this total.
The top ten smartphone manufacturers also included Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, Transsion, Huawei, Honor, Motorola, realme, and Google. Notably, Honor surpassed the 200 million active devices milestone in 2025, a feat not yet achieved by Motorola, realme, and Google.
Karn Chauhan, Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research, highlighted Apple’s impressive growth, stating that the company added more net new smartphone devices than the next seven leading OEMs combined. This achievement underscores Apple’s ability to attract and retain users in a mature market.
Chauhan further elaborated:
Apple leads the global active installed base, with about one in four active smartphones being an iPhone. This is driven by strong user loyalty, a deep iOS ecosystem, and tightly integrated services. Samsung ranks second with around one-fifth of the global active installed base, supported by its long-standing market presence, a broad portfolio spanning entry-level to premium segments, and extensive geographic reach across key regions.
The premium smartphone segment, defined as devices priced above $600 wholesale, remains a challenging arena. In 2025, six OEMs outside of Apple and Samsung held only single-digit sales shares in this category.
Both Apple and Samsung have surpassed the milestone of one billion active devices globally, a testament to their dominant positions in the market.
The overall market’s modest 2% growth in 2025 can be attributed to longer replacement cycles, now approaching four years, and an increasing number of second-hand devices in use.
