Apple led the global smartphone market in 2025 as worldwide shipments rose 2% from a year earlier, helped by stronger demand and improving economic momentum in emerging markets, Counterpoint Research said on Monday.

The U.S. company held a 20% market share, the largest among the world’s top five smartphone brands, supported by solid demand in emerging and mid-sized markets and strong sales of the iPhone 17 series, said Counterpoint analyst Varun Mishra.

Samsung ranked second with a 19% share on modest shipment growth, while Xiaomi placed third with a 13% share, backed by steady demand in emerging markets.

Manufacturers pulled shipments forward early in the year to get ahead of potential tariffs, but that effect faded as 2025 progressed, leaving second-half volumes largely unaffected, Counterpoint said.

“The front-loading of shipments helped vendors mitigate short-term risks, but it did not materially distort full-year volumes,” Mishra said.

Looking ahead, the global smartphone market is expected to soften in 2026 as chip shortages and rising component costs weigh on supply, Counterpoint said. Chipmakers are increasingly prioritising high-margin artificial intelligence data centre chips over smartphone processors, tightening availability for handset manufacturers.

“The competition for advanced chips is intensifying, and smartphones are no longer the top priority for foundries,” said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint. “That will likely constrain volumes and push costs higher for handset makers next year.”

Despite the expected slowdown, Counterpoint said demand in emerging markets remains a key stabilising factor for the industry, as smartphone penetration continues to rise and consumers upgrade from entry-level devices.

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