Samsung is no longer the world’s number one smartphone manufacturer ; Apple took over. Well, at least according to the latest Counterpoint Research report for 2025.
Before we get to talking about the top 5 OEMs, let’s just say that the smartphone market grew by 2% YoY (Year-over-Year) in 2025. So from 2024 to 2025 it grew by 2%. For comparison’s sake, from 2023 to 2024, the market grew by 4%.
Apple managed to trump Samsung, it’s now the world’s top smartphone maker
Having said that, based on this report, Apple managed to grab 20% of the market in 2025, and a 10% YoY growth. Samsung is close second with a 19% market share, but it grew only 5% YoY. So it has a slower growth rate than Apple, hence Apple’s leadership at the moment.
Xiaomi is third-placed still, as it sits at 13% of the market. The company’s market share did not rise or drop, it’s still at the same percentage. Vivo is fourth-placed with 8% of the market, and a 3% YoY growth.
OPPO claimed fifth place, even though it has the same percentage as Vivo
OPPO managed to take fifth place, and it has the same percentage as Vivo. The thing is, Vivo has grown since last year, and OPPO hasn’t. In fact, OPPO marked a drop of 4% YoY, hence the fifth place.
All the other companies combined managed to grab 32% of the market. They have marked a 1% drop of market share YoY. So, Samsung and Apple, combined, have more market share than everyone below the fifth place. The same goes for Apple and Xiaomi, when combined.
Senior Analyst at Counterpoint, Varun Mishra, said: “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. This dual momentum was further amplified by the COVID‑era upgrade cycle reaching its inflection point, as millions of users were due for replacement.”
Samsung’s Galaxy A series phones were the company’s best-selling devices
Samsung’s growth was driven by the Galaxy A series phones. When it comes to the premium segment, the company’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy S25 series devices were the best-sellers. They outperformed their predecessors. Samsung is under most pressure in Latin America and Western Europe, it is said.
Xiaomi did extremely well in Latin America and Southeast Asia, while Vivo boomed in India, with strong offline sales (retail stores).
Nothing and Google also did very well in 2025
Counterpoint also noted that Nothing and Google did fairly well, mentioning companies below that fifth place. Nothing marked a 31% growth YoY, while Google managed to claim a 25% growth from 2024 to 2025.
