- 2025’s modest smartphone growth was powered by premium devices, with Apple and Samsung capturing most of the upside despite rising costs and supply constraints.
- Market concentration accelerated, as Chinese OEMs largely stagnated or declined while the top two expanded their combined share.
- The outlook for 2026 is weaker, with memory shortages and higher costs expected to push shipments down while prices continue to rise.
By most standards, 2025 should have been a write-off for the global smartphone industry. The year was defined by overlapping pressures: tariff volatility across key markets, ongoing supply chain disruptions, and an escalating memory (RAM) shortage that squeezed manufacturers from all sides. For many vendors, higher component costs and tighter supply left little room to manoeuvre, especially in the budget and midrange segments.
Yet, against that backdrop, the market refused to fall apart. Global smartphone shipments grew 2.3% year-over-year in Q4 2025, with 336.3 million units shipped, according to IDC. For the full year, shipments reached 1.26 billion units, marking 1.9% growth compared to 2024. And in the midst of all this, what’s more surprising is where that growth came from.
MORE INSIGHTS ON THIS TOPIC:
- China’s Smartphone Market Is Shrinking, But Apple and Huawei Are Still Winning
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