Smartphone Market Grew One Percent in 2Q25

According to preliminary data from IDC, global smartphone shipments increased 1.0% year-over-year (YoY) to 295.2 million units in the second quarter of 2025 (2Q25). The smartphone market remained positive; however, uncertainty fueled by tariff volatility, ongoing macroeconomic challenges such as forex instability, unemployment, and inflation across regions have tapered demand, making consumers deprioritize spending on smartphones, especially in low-end segments.

“Economic uncertainty tends to compress demand at the lower end of the market, where price sensitivity is highest. As a result, low-end Android is witnessing a crunch weighing down overall market growth,” said Nabila Popal, senior research director for Worldwide Client Devices at IDC. “Additionally, lower-than-expected performance in China also contributed to the flat global growth. China declined in Q2 as subsidies failed to stimulate demand. Although the 618 e-commerce festival was a success in terms of sell-out, OEMs and channel partners used the promotions to clear inventory rather than increase shipments. While Apple was the top brand during the promotion period, it saw a 1% drop in China in Q2, offset by strong double-digit growth in emerging markets, leading to a 1.5% growth globally in the quarter.”

“Samsung was able to consolidate its market leadership and outperform the overall market, achieving strong growth in the quarter driven by the sales of its new Galaxy A36 and A56 products,” said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president for Client Devices at IDC. “These new products introduce AI-enabled features to mid-range devices, which have been effectively used in retail stores to drive sales, as more consumers become curious about AI.”

Samsung retained the leading position in the quarter with 58 million shipments, a 7.9% YoY rise, and held 19.7% of the market share. Apple was second with 46.4 million devices (+1.5% YoY) and 15.7% share. Xiaomi is the last vendor with a double-digit share (14.4%) and a modest 0.6% YoY growth. Vivo and Transsion retained positions 4 and 5 with 9.% and 8.5% share respectively.

“In the face of ongoing political challenges, the impact of war, and the complexities posed by tariffs, the 1% growth in the smartphone market stands as a critical indicator that the market is poised to return to growth,” added Anthony Scarsella, research director for Client Devices at IDC. “Q2 was packed with new models, featuring innovative designs and the powerful integration of AI, which drove the 8th consecutive quarter of growth — a feat we have not witnessed since 2013.”