Samsung has emerged as the clear leader in the global smartphone market in the second quarter of 2025. The South Korean smartphone manufacturer lead the race with shipments rising 7.9 percent year-on-year to 58 million units, capturing nearly 20 percent of the market share. According to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Samsung enjoys a strong global market share in the smartphone segment.

Meager Global Smartphone Shipment Growth:

However, globally, the smartphone shipments have only increased by a meager 1.0 percent year-on-year to 295.2 million units in the second quarter of 2025. Multiple factors have led to the slowdown in smartphone shipments, like tariff volatility, currency fluctuations, rising inflation, and unemployment, which have collectively tempered consumer demand.

Also, the slow growth this year can be pinned on the challenging economic environment. This has forced smartphone manufacturers to change the prices of the entry-segment smartphones, which make up a sizeable share of the smartphone shipments. Since price sensitivity in this category is the highest in this segment, it's shipments fluctuate.

Slowdown in Chinese Smartphone Markets:

Chinese smartphone market, which traditionally has been the driving force behind global smartphone sales, had a slower performance in this quarter. Although there were a lot of E-commerce festivals to assist sales of devices, these sales were rather used up by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The OEM and other supply chain partners used these sales to clear the existing inventory of smartphones rather than create demand for new shipments. Therefore, 618 e-commerce festivals were successful, but shipments didn't grow.

Other Brands Market Share:

Apple came out as the top brand during the promotional period. The company saw double-digit growth in emerging markets, and therefore, their global shipments grew by 1.5 percent, although the Chinese shipments saw a decline of 1 percent. However, Apple shipped a record 46.4 million units in total and got a 15.7 percent global market share.

Xiaomi shipped 42.5 million units, holding a 14.4 percent market share, while Vivo’s shipments rose 4.8 percent year-on-year to 27.1 million units. Transsion shipped 25.1 million units and experienced a slight decline of 1.7 percent market share. The remainder of the market contracted by 3.1 per cent, indicating that smaller vendors and less established brands struggled in the face of broader market pressures.

Despite the political challenges, conflicts, and the complexities posed by tariffs, the smartphone market’s one percent growth signals resilience and suggests a cautious return to expansion. The quarter saw a slew of new model launches featuring innovative designs and AI integration, contributing to the market’s eighth consecutive quarter of growth, a trend not seen since 2013. These developments underline the industry’s focus on incorporating advanced technology to attract consumers even amid uncertain economic conditions.