Smartphones Market researchers: Apple topples Samsung from the smartphone throne
According to market researchers, Apple will oust Samsung from the top spot in smartphone sales this year.
26.11.2025, 19:09
SDA
The US company will sell around ten percent more iPhones this year, while the long-standing market leader from South Korea will achieve an increase of 4.6 percent, predicts the analysis firm Counterpoint.
According to the market researchers' figures, the two providers were very close to each other in the most recent quarter: Samsung had a market share of 19 percent and Apple 18 percent. Counterpoint did not initially provide a specific estimate of sales figures and market shares for the year as a whole.
The boost is partly due to the popularity of the iPhone 17 series launched in September, Counterpoint expert Yang Wang told the financial service Bloomberg. Many people who bought smartphones at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic also switched to newer model generations.
According to the analyst, around 358 million used iPhones were sold between 2023 and mid-2025. These users are also likely to buy new iPhones in the coming years. Counterpoint assumes that Apple will be able to hold the smartphone throne until at least 2029.
Pioneer of modern smartphones
The iPhone set the trend for modern smartphones in 2007 with its touchscreen and app model. However, manufacturers of phones with Google's Android operating system, some of which also offered significantly cheaper phones, sold more devices.
Samsung has sold the most smartphones in recent years - except in the Christmas quarters, when the iPhone was always ahead. After the first Samsung smartphones were released, Apple accused its competitor of copying the iPhone's technology and design. Although the US company was able to prevail in court after years of legal proceedings, Samsung remained the frontrunner for a long time.
Market researchers have noticed a trend towards more expensive smartphones in recent years - which are used for longer. Apple should also benefit from this with its premium image.
The companies themselves have not been publishing sales figures for some time now, so we have to rely on analysts' calculations.
