Smartphone Race Intensifies: Samsung Overtakes Apple for Q1 2025 Top Position
Wonder who's currently top of the worldwide smartphone race. The latest stats are in courtesy of the experts at Canalys, and it's a close-up look at the first quarter of 2025. The overall market direction appears to follow the same familiar pattern as previous year, although there has been a significant shuffling at the very top end of the top table.
The New Pecking Order: Q1 2025 Rankings
Who was leading this time around. Well, here's the scoop:
- Samsung: Snatched the number one position, claiming a healthy 20% share of the global market.
- Apple: Close on their heels, with 19% – showing just how close-run it is.
- Xiaomi: Made up the top three with a respectable 14% share.
- vivo and OPPO: Sharing the next two places, both capturing an 8% market share.
A Glance at the Overall Picture
A glance at the overall picture reveals a staggering 296.9 million smartphones were shipped in the first quarter of 2025. That's only infinitesimally higher – 0.2% – than last year during this same time frame, an indication of a fairly stable market volume.
But the demand was not uniform across the globe. Deliveries increased in the United States and China, while declined slightly in others like Europe, India, and the Middle East.
What's Next. Looking Ahead to Q2
Analysts at Canalys are actually fairly optimistic about the second quarter for the major brands. They believe that improved management of inventory and the launch of some really compelling new products should help the market. But, they also anticipate this to ratchet up the heat in terms of competition, especially in that very crowded mid-range segment (phones between $200 and $400).
Looks like the smartphone war is as fierce as ever.
