Smart Analytics Global (SAG) has just released its latest global smartphone shipment and market share update today, and the numbers point to a historic turning point for the industry.
For the first time ever, Apple ranked No.1 worldwide by annual smartphone shipment volume in 2025. Global smartphone shipments reached 1.26 billion units, up 2.6% year over year, with Apple shipping 242.8 million iPhones and capturing 19.3% global market share.
Even more striking was what happened in the fourth quarter. In Q4 2025, Apple shipped 82.6 million iPhones globally and pushed average selling price (ASP) above the US$1,000 mark for the first time, reaching US$1,032. This milestone was not only driven by sheer unit volume alone, but also by a clear shift toward higher-end models and larger memory configurations in the iPhone 17 series. SAG tracked a richer mix of iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models, together with rapidly rising adoption of 512GB and 1TB variants, significantly lifted both ASP and total iPhone revenue. In other words, consumers were not just buying new iPhones – they were buying more premium iPhones.
China played a crucial role in this performance. Apple ranked No.1 in China in Q4 2025 with a record market share above 23%, as demand for the iPhone 17 family surged. North America and Western Europe also remained strongholds, reinforcing Apple’s shipment leadership across major developed markets.
Samsung followed in second place globally in Q4 2025 but delivered the fastest growth rate among the top vendors, expanding shipments by over 17% year over year. Its broad portfolio, especially the competitive Galaxy A series, drove double-digit growth in regions such as the Middle East and Africa.
Xiaomi, vivo and OPPO rounded out the top five list. While Xiaomi faced pressure in China and India, it held onto third place worldwide. vivo gained strong momentum from its iQOO sub-brand and continued to lead the Indian market, while OPPO performed particularly well in Central Latin America through deep operator and retail partnerships.
Overall, vendor concentration is rising. The top five smartphone brands accounted for 70% of global shipments in Q4 2025, up from 67% a year earlier, signaling accelerating industry consolidation.
Looking ahead, SAG expects the current upcycle to cool. After nine consecutive quarters of recovery, the global smartphone market is forecast to enter a downturn in 2026, with shipments projected to decline 3% year over year. Higher memory and chipset costs, supply constraints and macroeconomic headwinds are likely to extend replacement cycles and soften demand, with the impact becoming visible from Q2 2026 and lasting through 2027.
Even in a softer market, scale and brand strength will matter more than ever. SAG expects Samsung and Apple to remain the two global leaders in 2026. Samsung’s vertically integrated supply chain should help it maintain (and potentially regain) annual shipment leadership, while Apple is likely to stay second, though the next iPhone cycle may be more incremental than the breakout iPhone 17 generation.
As costs rise and competition intensifies, 2026 is also set to bring faster consolidation, with smaller vendors increasingly forced to scale back or exit, leaving the industry ever more dominated by the largest players.
Exhibit 1. Global Smartphone Vendor Shipment and Market Share in Q4 2025
Exhibit 2. Global Smartphone Vendor Shipment and Market Share in 2025
