Apple struggles in China while Samsung dominates the global smartphone market
Preliminary numbers from IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker show that Apple has shipped 46.4 million iPhones in Q2, recording a modest growth of 1.5% compared to last year. The company saw 1% decline in shipments in China, but that was offset by strong double-digit gains in emerging regions. Apple is still the second biggest smartphone company in the world with 15.7% market share.
Samsung is the undisputed leader on the market with 19.7% share. The company has shipped 58 million units in the second quarter, which accounts for an impressive 7.9% growth compared to last year. The company's growth was driven by the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56, which introduced Galaxy AI features to mid-range devices.
Francisco Jeronimo, Vice President, Client Devices, IDC, 14 July 2025 Xiaomi came in third with 42.5 million shipped units and 14.4% market share. The Chinese company's growth was only 0.6%. Fourth and fifth were vivo (27.1 million shipments) and Transsion (25.1 million shipments).
The overall growth of the smartphone market was only 1% year-over-year, marking some of the challenges it faces. The total shipments for the second quarter were 295.2 million units worldwide. Those results come amid growing uncertainty and economic pressures, such as unemployment and inflation across regions.
Top 5 companies by worldwide smartphone shipments, market share, and annual growth, Q2 2025 | Image credit — IDC Apple wasn't the only company struggling in China. According to the IDC report, the lower than expected performance of the Chinese market dragged down the global shipments.
As for what the future holds, IDC is rather positive. The researchers note that Q2 of 2025 was the eighth consecutive quarter of growth, something that hasn't happened since 2013, and the trend might continue. The drivers of future growth might be AI-powered smartphones and devices in the mid-range segment. Secure your connection now at a bargain price!
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