Smartphone shipments in the world by the end of 2025 increased by 1.9% to 1.26 billion units, according to preliminary calculations of International Data Corporation (IDC).
Including the October-December period, they grew by 2.3% relative to the same period in 2024 to reach 336.3 million units.
“Despite the memory chip shortage crisis, the market was supported in the fourth quarter by solid growth in premium device sales, strong momentum in foldable smartphones, and an uptick in demand from consumers in anticipation of price increases,” IDC said in a statement.
“Despite a challenging year marked by volatile import duties, supply chain disruptions, and persistent macroeconomic challenges in several regions, the global smartphone market showed remarkable resilience, ending 2025 with robust growth of 1.9%,” said IDC Senior Research Director Nabila Popal.
“The main growth drivers were premium manufacturers Apple Inc. and Samsung, which posted the highest growth rates among the top five, at 6.3 percent and 7.9 percent, respectively.” Apple maintained its leadership for the third consecutive year with record shipments and a strong recovery in China, fueled by the success of the iPhone 17 series,” Popal noted.
“Notably, the combined share of Apple and Samsung grew by two percentage points to 39% from 37% in the previous year, underscoring the accelerating trend towards premiumization as consumers increasingly gravitate towards higher-end devices,” the expert added.
