Apple projected to surpass Samsung as global smartphone shipments leader

Apple is on track to overtake Samsung in global smartphone shipments for the first time in 14 years, according to Counterpoint Research. The firm estimates Apple will ship more than 243 million iPhones in 2025, giving it about 19.4% of the global market. Samsung is expected to ship around 235 million smartphones, for an 18.7% share.

The shift is driven in part by strong demand for the iPhone 17 lineup. Apple’s shipments in the third quarter rose 9% year-on-year compared with the iPhone 16 series, and the company recorded 12% higher performance on key metrics tied to the new models, helping it close and now potentially reverse the long-standing gap with Samsung.