After two years of Apple and Samsung being neck and neck in the smartphone market share stakes, iPhone market share beat out the Korean company by the end of last year, according to a new market intelligence report.

Apple also enjoyed by far the largest year-on-year growth in smartphone shipments, and that wasn’t just due to the success of the iPhone 17 lineup …

Back in 2023, Apple and Samsung each had a 19% share of the global smartphone market, according to Counterpoint data. A year later, growth in Chinese brands had slightly dented the share of both companies, but still leaving them equal first with an 18% share.

By the end of 2025, however, Apple had pulled ahead with a 20% share. Its year-on-year growth was double that of Samsung at 10%.

Apple led the global smartphone market in 2025 with 20% share and 10% YoY shipment growth, the highest among the top five brands. Commenting on Apple’s performance, Senior Analyst 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.

While the popularity of the iPhone 17 lineup was key to this, the market intelligence firm said that the iPhone 16 was also a contributor.

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.”

Increasing memory costs are likely to see the smartphone market contract this year, but both Apple and Samsung are believed to have the supply chain capabilities needed to ride out the storm. Samsung makes its own memory, and Apple uses its market power to achieve competitive pricing and secure supply well in advance of its needs.

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