For the first time, Apple secured the largest market share of any smartphone company in Q1 2025, driven by the successful launch of the iPhone 16e, according to Counterpoint Research’s global smartphone sales report.
Apple recorded double-digit growth in Japan, India, the Middle East and Africa, and Southeast Asia. Samsung followed with an 18% market share. Despite a slow start due to the delayed launch of the S25 series, Samsung’s sales rebounded strongly after the release of its flagship S25 and new A-series devices, achieving double-digit growth in March. Notably, the “Ultra” model accounted for a larger share of S25 series sales.
“The smartphone market had a mixed start in 2025,” the report noted. “Q1 benefited from improving economic conditions in emerging markets, but mature markets like North America, Europe, and China showed signs of fatigue following a 2024 recovery. January sales were robust, fueled by subsidy-driven demand in China. Major launches, including Samsung’s S25 and Apple’s iPhone 16e, sustained momentum, but economic uncertainties and trade war risks dampened growth by quarter’s end. We are monitoring policy changes and currently project a year-on-year market decline in 2025, despite Q1 growth.”
The report also notes that the global smartphone market is likely to decline this year due to increased economic uncertainties caused by tariffs and are most likely to hurt consumer demand across markets.
