Strong festive demand and budget 5G adoption boosted global smartphone shipments by 4% in Q3 2025, led by Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo.
Global smartphone shipments rose 4% year-on-year (YoY) in the third quarter of 2025, according to preliminary estimates from Counterpoint Research. The report highlighted that growth was uneven across regions, with mature markets such as North America and Europe showing declines, while India, Japan, parts of Asia-Pacific (APAC) and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) delivered strong performance.
MEA led regional growth with a 14% YoY increase, supported by Samsung and Xiaomi’s strong performance, while Apple dominated the premium segment. Senior Analyst Shilpi Jain noted that the rise was driven by broad mid-tier portfolios, boosted by back-to-school demand and pre-holiday inventory build-up.
Meanwhile, India’s smartphone shipments grew 9% YoY, aided by early festive season demand, improved consumer sentiment following recent government relief measures, and robust adoption of premium and mid-range devices, backed by aggressive discounts and channel promotions.
Among global OEMs, Samsung remained the market leader with a 19% shipment share and 6% YoY growth. Research Analyst Kamal Singh said, “The growth was mainly driven by Samsung’s Galaxy A series line-up. The recently launched Galaxy Z Fold7 performed strongly, supported by early-adopter demand and aggressive carrier promotions.”
Apple recorded the fastest growth among the top five brands, with a 9% YoY rise in global shipments. Singh highlighted that the newly launched iPhone 17 series received strong pre-booking across Japan, China, Western Europe and parts of APAC. Xiaomi retained third place with a 14% share and 2% YoY growth, gaining momentum in Southeast Asia, MEA and Latin America.
OPPO and vivo ranked fourth and fifth, with OPPO driven by affordable 5G models in Southeast Asia and MEA, and OnePlus making a comeback in China and India. Vivo’s growth was supported by India and Southeast Asia, alongside expansion in MEA.
Outside the top five, Google saw notable 18% YoY shipment growth, boosted by the Pixel 9 series, AI integration, and geographic expansion.
Commenting on the overall global scenario, Jain said, “Premium model demand in developed markets remained strong, while budget 5G devices gained traction in growth regions like India, parts of APAC and MEA. However, softness in China due to inventory clearance, and muted consumer confidence in Latin America kept the growth moderate.”
She added that Japan continued its momentum with 15% YoY growth, largely driven by sustained demand for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e, alongside strong uptake of Samsung’s Galaxy S25 premium models.
