Apple overtakes Samsung to take top spot, bumper sales of iPhone 17 make it No. 1 smartphone brand
Apple has reportedly dethroned Samsung as the number 1 smartphone brand for the first time in 14 years. The Cupertino giant is said to have achieved 20 percent market share globally on the back of the performance of the iPhone 17 series as well as the success of the iPhone 16.
Apple is set to overtake Samsung to become the world’s top smartphone brand in 2025, driven by strong demand for the iPhone 17 series. This is the first time in 14 years that the American phone maker has overtaken its Korean rival. According to Counterpoint Research, the Cupertino giant saw the highest year-on-year growth among the top five brands, taking it to the top spot with 20% global market share.
Apple overtakes Samsung to take No. 1 spot globally
According to the report, Apple’s sales saw an increase of 10 percent year-on-year. This was largely attributed to the success of the iPhone 17 series, launched in September 2025, in addition to the success of the iPhone 16 in markets like India, Japan, and Southeast Asia. iPhone 16 was also the best-selling phone in India last year. In the final quarter of 2025, Apple achieved its highest ever quarterly share in global shipments with one-quarter, while Samsung came in second with the percentage.
Although Apple also benefited from increased demand for premium devices, the global smartphone market grew by 2 percent. This dual momentum was further exacerbated by the COVID-era upgrade cycle reaching its inflection point, as millions of users were due for replacement.
Interestingly, a few months ago Apple was projected to dethrone Samsung from the top spot.
Samsung slipped to second place
Samsung, on the other hand, reportedly had a market share of 19 percent, just behind Apple. The Korean phone maker saw a growth of 5 percent year-on-year, courtesy the Galaxy S25 series along with the A series in the midrange segment and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in the premium segment. However, the company faced pressure in Latin America and Western Europe, which was partially offset by gains in Japan and key markets.
Rest of the top 5 smartphone brands
Coming to the rest of the top 5, Xiaomi retained the third position with 13 percent market share, maintaining steady shipments through its premiumization strategy and strong demand in emerging markets. Effective channel management and balanced product mix also helped Xiaomi overcome industry challenges.
Meanwhile, Vivo saw growth of 3 percent and Oppo declined 4 percent overall, despite some gains in India and MEA, partly due to tough competition in China and the Asia-Pacific region.
