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The smartphone market experienced slight growth in 2025. Approximately 1.254 billion smartphones were produced worldwide, representing an increase of about 2.5 percent compared to the previous year.
According to a report by market research firm TrendForce, Apple and Samsung are jointly at the top of global smartphone production. Both manufacturers produced almost the same number of devices throughout the year, thus sharing first place.
The smartphone industry remains highly competitive. Manufacturers are trying to secure their market position with new devices, adjusted prices, and efficient production.
In 2025, Apple and Samsung in particular were able to maintain their dominant position. At the same time, the production figures show how the market is developing and what challenges the industry will face in the coming years.
Global smartphone production 2025
Global smartphone production reached approximately 1.254 billion units in 2025. According to TrendForce, the slight increase compared to the previous year was influenced by several factors.
In the first half of the year, the market benefited from subsidy programs by the Chinese government, which increased demand for smartphones.
In the second half of the year, the traditional sales increase due to the introduction of new flagship smartphones generated additional demand.
Apple and Samsung in first place
According to TrendForce, Apple and Samsung will each produce almost 240 million smartphones in 2025. This puts both companies in a tie for first place in global production.
Apple, in particular, saw significant growth towards the end of the year. Following the launch of the iPhone 17 series, smartphone production increased by more than 50 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to the previous quarter.
The new iPhone models achieved strong shipment figures and, according to TrendForce, benefited from well-positioned sales prices, contributing to strong market performance. For 2026, a more aggressive pricing strategy from Apple could help further stabilize production and sales.
Other major smartphone manufacturers
Besides Apple and Samsung, several other manufacturers were also among the largest producers in 2025:
- Xiaomi (including Redmi and POCO) came in third place with almost 170 million devices.
- OPPO (including OnePlus and Realme) followed in fourth place with 143 million smartphones.
- Vivo finished in fifth place.
- Transsion (TECNO, Infinix and itel) came in sixth place after reducing its production towards the end of the year due to inventory adjustments and concerns about demand in emerging markets.
- Honor was in seventh place at the end of the year after an increase in production.
- Lenovo, including Motorola, ranked eighth with approximately 61 million smartphones produced.
Challenges for the market in 2026
TrendForce expects the smartphone industry to come under greater cost pressure in 2026. A key factor is rising memory prices, which could significantly increase production costs.
Manufacturers are therefore faced with the decision of either increasing sales prices to secure their margins or reducing device specifications to maintain high delivery volumes. Entry-level devices could be particularly affected.
Due to these developments, global smartphone production is expected to decline by at least 10 percent in 2026. Production could thus fall to around 1.135 billion devices.
Apple and Samsung dominate the smartphone market in 2025
The TrendForce report shows that Apple and Samsung remain the leading manufacturers in the global smartphone market in 2025. Both companies produced nearly 240 million devices each, thus sharing the top position.
The introduction of the iPhone 17 series, in particular, led to a significant increase in Apple's production at the end of the year. At the same time, competition from manufacturers such as Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo remains high.
Rising production costs and potential pricing decisions will reveal in 2026 how stable the current market structure actually remains. (Image: Apple)
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