After Apple and Samsung battled for mobile market leadership in recent years, 2025 has become Apple's year as the top player in the global smartphone market.
A report from Counterpoint Research revealed that by the end of 2025, Apple successfully captured the number one market share position.
Looking back to 2023, both Apple and Samsung held equal market shares of 19 percent, which then declined to 18 percent. However, by the end of 2025, a clear shift appeared: Apple surged to a 20 percent share with a 10 percent year-on-year growth rate, while Samsung held 19 percent.
Varun Mishra, a senior analyst at Counterpoint, commented that Apple's success last year was not solely due to the iPhone 17, but also the strong continued sales of the iPhone 16 in key markets such as Japan, India, and Southeast Asia.
Additionally, the smartphone market benefited from an upgrade cycle among users who purchased phones during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they reached their replacement period, leading to a significant increase in orders from this user group.
Although the outlook seems positive, the smartphone market faces a new challenge in 2026 with rising memory costs, which could cause overall market contraction.
Nonetheless, both Apple and Samsung are seen as having the strongest supply chain advantages; Samsung with its in-house memory production, and Apple leveraging its purchasing power to negotiate prices and pre-buy stock, giving both a better chance to withstand the cost crisis compared to other brands in the industry.
. Source:Counterpoint Research