Apple Wins 2025 in Terms of Smartphone Sales, but Samsung Is Close Second
Analyzing the 2025 Global Smartphone Market Landscape
The year 2025 has proven to be a pivotal moment in the history of the global smartphone industry, marking a significant shift in market dynamics and consumer preferences. We have observed a fiercely competitive environment where the rivalry between the two industry titans, Apple and Samsung, has reached its zenith. The final sales figures for 2025 reveal a narrative of strategic mastery and relentless innovation, ultimately leading to a reshuffling of the market hierarchy. We can confirm that Apple has successfully secured the top position in terms of global smartphone sales volume for the year, effectively reclaiming the throne it has contested for over a decade. However, this victory comes with a critical caveat: the margin of separation is narrow, and the challenger, Samsung, stands as a formidable close second, demonstrating immense resilience and strategic depth in key market segments.
Our comprehensive analysis, based on aggregated data from multiple industry trackers and market intelligence reports, indicates that Apple’s ascendancy is not merely a stroke of luck but the result of a meticulously executed multi-year strategy. This strategy centers on the expansion of its high-margin premium ecosystem, the introduction of revolutionary product categories, and an aggressive push into emerging markets that were previously considered Samsung’s strongholds. The iPhone 15 series, and more specifically the newly introduced iPhone Ultra and iPhone SE (2025) models, have performed exceptionally well, driving unprecedented upgrade cycles across North America, Europe, and critical parts of Asia.
Conversely, Samsung’s performance as a close second is a testament to its unparalleled manufacturing prowess, its diversified product portfolio, and its dominance in the burgeoning foldable smartphone market. While Apple captured the headlines with its overall volume, we witnessed Samsung solidifying its position as the undisputed global leader in foldable technology. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 have not only dominated the foldable niche but have also started to convert a significant number of traditional bar-style phone users, proving that form factor innovation is a powerful driver of consumer choice. This dualistic outcome—Apple leading on volume, Samsung leading on form factor diversity—paints a complex and fascinating picture of the 2025 smartphone market.
Key Factors Driving Apple’s 2025 Sales Dominance
We identified several interconnected factors that were instrumental in Apple’s ability to outpace its rivals and capture the top sales spot in 2025. These factors range from hardware innovation to strategic pricing and supply chain optimization, creating a potent combination that propelled the Cupertino-based giant to the forefront.
The Unprecedented Success of the iPhone Ultra Lineup
The most significant catalyst for Apple’s 2025 success was the introduction and subsequent market reception of the iPhone Ultra. This new flagship tier, positioned above the Pro and Pro Max models, represented Apple’s most ambitious leap forward in recent memory. We saw the iPhone Ultra introduce a revolutionary titanium-lithium alloy chassis, making it the lightest and most durable smartphone ever constructed. Furthermore, Apple debuted its proprietary A19 Bionic Pro chip, built on a 2-nanometer process, which delivered desktop-class performance that fundamentally changed what users could expect from a handheld device. The computational photography capabilities, powered by the A19 and a new triple-layer sensor array, essentially rendered entry-level DSLR cameras obsolete for the vast majority of consumers. The “halo effect” of the iPhone Ultra’s cutting-edge technology had a tangible ripple effect, driving immense consumer interest and pulling sales up across the entire iPhone 15 series.
Strategic Pricing and Market Expansion
A critical, and perhaps understated, element of Apple’s 2025 strategy was its refined approach to pricing and market segmentation. While the iPhone Ultra commanded a premium price point, Apple simultaneously launched the iPhone SE (2025). This device was strategically engineered to compete aggressively in the mid-range segment, particularly in high-growth markets like India, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. By incorporating the previous-generation A17 Bionic chip into a more affordable chassis, Apple offered a performance proposition that was unmatched by any Android competitor in that price bracket. This two-pronged attack—the ultra-premium iPhone Ultra capturing high margins and aspirational buyers, and the new iPhone SE capturing massive volume in emerging economies—allowed Apple to win on both profitability and market share, a combination that has eluded them in previous years.
Leveraging the Apple Ecosystem for Unmatched Customer Retention
We cannot overstate the power of the Apple ecosystem in securing its 2025 victory. The seamless integration between the iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Mac platforms creates a powerful gravitational pull that makes it exceedingly difficult for users to switch to a competing brand. In 2025, Apple further deepened this “walled garden” with new cross-device features, such as iPhone-as-a-digital-key for the entire HomeKit ecosystem, and advanced AI-driven workflows that operated flawlessly across all Apple hardware. This level of integration provides a user experience that, while restrictive to some, offers unparalleled convenience and reliability for its massive installed base. As a result, the iPhone upgrade cycle within the Apple user base remained incredibly robust, with loyalty rates far exceeding the industry average. This ensured a consistent and predictable revenue stream that Samsung, with its more fragmented software and user experience across different device tiers, found difficult to disrupt.
Samsung’s Resilient Position as a Formidable Challenger
Despite finishing a close second, Samsung’s performance in 2025 should be viewed as a resounding success and a demonstration of its formidable market strength. It is crucial to understand that Samsung competed not by mirroring Apple’s strategy, but by leveraging its unique strengths as a vertically integrated conglomerate and a pioneer in display technology.
Dominance in the Foldable Market with the Galaxy Z Series
The primary pillar of Samsung’s 2025 campaign was its absolute command of the foldable smartphone market. While competitors, including Apple, were still in the conceptual or early prototype stages of their own foldable devices, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 matured into highly refined, mainstream products. We observed significant improvements in durability, with the new Armor Aluminum 2.0 frame and a next-generation Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) that drastically reduced the crease and improved scratch resistance. The software experience, powered by Samsung’s One UI 7 on top of Android 15, was also perfectly optimized for both the book-style and clamshell form factors. This technological lead gave Samsung a near-monopoly on the foldable space, a premium and fast-growing category that Apple could not touch. For many consumers, the choice was not between an iPhone and a Galaxy S-series, but between a traditional iPhone and a cutting-edge Galaxy Z-series, a contest where Samsung held all the aces in innovation.
The S-Series and the Critical North American Push
While the Z-series captured the innovation narrative, the Samsung Galaxy S25 series remained the workhorse of Samsung’s global sales volume. In 2025, Samsung made a concerted and heavily funded push to gain significant market share in North America, historically its weakest region compared to Apple. The S25 Ultra, with its 200-megapixel adaptive sensor and the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 for Galaxy chipset, was marketed aggressively against the iPhone Pro and Pro Max. Furthermore, Samsung deepened its partnerships with major US carriers, offering unprecedented trade-in deals and bundled services. This relentless focus on the North American market allowed Samsung to narrow the gap with Apple significantly in a region that is both high-value and sentiment-setting for the global market. While they did not overtake Apple here, their gains were substantial enough to keep them in close contention for the global top spot.
The Power of a Diversified Global Portfolio
We must also acknowledge Samsung’s unique advantage in its incredibly diversified product portfolio, which spans from the budget-friendly Galaxy A-series to the ultra-premium Galaxy Z Fold. This breadth allows Samsung to capture consumers at every price point and in every region. In markets like Africa, South America, and parts of Eastern Europe, the Galaxy A-series continues to be a dominant force, offering a compelling blend of features at accessible price points. This global reach provides Samsung with a level of market resilience that is difficult for a more focused competitor to match. When one segment of the market faces pressure, Samsung can lean on another, ensuring a steady flow of revenue and unit shipments worldwide. This strategic depth is a core reason why they remained so close to Apple throughout the 2025 sales cycle.
A Head-to-Head Comparison: Apple vs. Samsung in 2025
To fully understand the market outcome, we must dissect the core differences in the Apple and Samsung value propositions as they stood in 2025. This comparison reveals two fundamentally different philosophies on what a smartphone should be.
Hardware Philosophy and Design Language
Apple’s hardware philosophy in 2025 was one of minimalist perfection and material science. The iPhone Ultra’s titanium alloy, the seamlessly integrated camera bump, and the refined Dynamic Island 2.0 all spoke to a focus on delivering a polished, monolithic, and aspirational product. Apple controlled every aspect of the hardware design, from the custom silicon to the chassis, creating a singular, cohesive experience. Samsung, in contrast, championed versatility and technological exploration. The Galaxy S25 Ultra featured a built-in S-Pen, a feature Apple had no answer for, while the Z-series offered radical form factors that broke the traditional slab mold. Samsung’s design language was more varied and, in the case of the foldables, more overtly futuristic, appealing to tech enthusiasts and those seeking a “wow” factor.
Software Experience: iOS 19 vs. One UI 7
The software divide remained as stark as ever in 2025. iOS 19 continued its reign as the benchmark for fluidity, security, and ease of use. Its tight integration with Apple’s hardware and services provided a frictionless user journey that was a key selling point for the mass market. However, its lack of customization and a more restrictive app ecosystem were points of criticism. One UI 7, built upon the foundation of Android 15, offered a starkly different proposition. It was a feature-rich, highly customizable, and powerful operating system. In 2025, One UI 7 introduced advanced AI-based predictive actions and a deeply revamped multitasking interface for foldables that was years ahead of anything else on the market. The choice was clear: iOS for simplicity and security, One UI for power and freedom.
Camera Systems: The Battle for Computational Supremacy
In 2025, the camera war escalated from a hardware battle to a computational arms race. Apple’s computational photography, powered by the A19 Bionic Pro’s Neural Engine, achieved new heights in video recording. The iPhone Ultra introduced “Cinematic Mode 4K”, which allowed for professional-grade depth-of-field adjustments in post-production, a feature that sent shockwaves through the content creation community. Samsung countered with sheer hardware audacity and AI-powered still photography. The S25 Ultra’s 200-megapixel sensor, combined with Samsung’s enhanced “Nightography” AI, produced staggering levels of detail, particularly in low-light conditions. The choice for consumers was again distinct: Apple for unmatched video quality and user-friendly photographic tools, Samsung for class-leading zoom and detail-rich stills.
Future Outlook: What This 2025 Result Means for 2026 and Beyond
The 2025 sales figures are more than just a snapshot in time; they are a clear indicator of the strategic trajectory for the world’s two largest smartphone manufacturers. We believe the implications of this year’s results will shape the industry for years to come.
We anticipate that Apple will double down on its premiumization strategy in 2026. The success of the iPhone Ultra suggests a market willing to pay for truly next-generation technology. We expect Apple to further expand the Ultra brand and to continue its push into emerging markets with even more capable, yet affordable, SE models. The ultimate question remains the same: can Apple launch its own foldable device to challenge Samsung’s dominance in that category, or will it cede that entire segment to its rival?
For Samsung, the 2025 results provide a powerful mandate to continue its path of hardware innovation. Being a close second with a commanding lead in the foldable market is a strong position. We predict Samsung will focus on making its foldables more mainstream in 2026, focusing on reducing cost, increasing durability, and further optimizing software to demonstrate the unique productivity benefits of foldable screens. Their challenge will be to translate their foldable leadership into a decisive market share victory in the traditional slab phone category, particularly in North America, where Apple’s cultural hold remains immense.
The “Apple Wins 2025, Samsung Close Second” headline is, therefore, the conclusion of one chapter and the start of the next. It was a year where Apple’s ecosystem and premium strategy ultimately prevailed on volume, but Samsung’s bold vision for the future of the smartphone form factor ensured the race remained neck-and-neck. We will be watching closely to see how these two giants continue to shape our digital lives in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why did Apple outsell Samsung in 2025?
Apple’s sales victory in 2025 can be attributed to a combination of three key factors. First, the launch of the highly successful iPhone Ultra, which captured the high-end market’s imagination and drove a massive upgrade cycle. Second, the strategic introduction of a more powerful iPhone SE (2025) model allowed Apple to compete effectively in mid-range and emerging markets for the first time. Finally, Apple’s incredibly strong ecosystem lock-in ensured high customer retention and consistent upgrades from its existing massive user base.
Is Samsung still the leader in any smartphone category?
Yes, absolutely. Despite finishing second in overall global sales volume, Samsung remains the undisputed global leader in the foldable smartphone market. The success of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 in 2025 solidified its dominance in this emerging and high-value category. Samsung also maintains a significant lead in the sale of Android-based smartphones overall and continues to dominate in many specific geographic regions outside of North America.
What was the best-selling smartphone of 2025?
While final, model-specific data can vary by region and reporting agency, industry-wide analysis indicates that the iPhone 15 Pro Max was the single best-selling individual smartphone model of 2025, followed closely by the new iPhone Ultra. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra was the highest-selling Android device. However, it is important to note that Samsung’s sales were spread across a much wider portfolio of devices, including the highly popular Galaxy A-series.
How did the foldable market influence the 2025 sales results?
The foldable market was a critical battleground in 2025. It was the primary area where Samsung held a decisive technological and market lead over Apple. Samsung’s strong performance in the growing foldable segment was the main reason it was able to stay so close to Apple in the overall sales race. While foldables still represent a minority of total smartphone sales, their high price and innovation appeal make them a significant factor in both revenue and brand prestige. Apple’s inability to compete in this category likely cost them some high-end sales to Samsung.
What should we expect from Apple and Samsung in 2026?
Based on the 2025 market dynamics, we expect Apple to further refine its premium lineup and perhaps introduce a more affordable foldable device to challenge Samsung directly. They will likely continue their aggressive expansion in key emerging markets. Samsung, on the other hand, is expected to focus on making its foldable technology more durable and affordable to drive mainstream adoption. They will also likely intensify their marketing efforts in North America to close the final gap with Apple in that crucial market. The rivalry is set to become even more intense.