After 14 years behind Samsung, Apple is back on top in global smartphone sales, just as Chinese rivals step up the pressure. Foldables and advanced AI are the new battleground in the fight for the next billion users.
Samsung’s grip on the smartphone crown lasted so long that it seemed unbreakable. The South Korean tech giant achieved 14 unbroken years as the world’s top shipper by volume.
That pattern, however, was finally broken as Apple reclaimed the number‑one spot last year. According to full-year data from the Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Research, Apple achieved a 20% share of global shipments, versus Samsung’s 19%.
Yes, it’s razor-close, but some analysts believe this could mark the beginning of a sustained recovery for the iPhone maker, whose competitive edge had been eroded by Chinese rivals and consumers keeping older phones for longer.
While Samsung is steering further into the premium end of the smartphone market, Apple is moving in the opposite direction, pushing into the mid-range for the first time in years with lower-priced models aimed at winning over price-sensitive Android users.
With the North American and European markets now saturated, Yang Wang, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, sees the gap between Apple and Samsung widening further as the iPhone maker expands its range of mid-tier phones to meet rising demand in emerging markets like India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
“[Apple] already dominates the premium end of the market. If they want to increase shipments, they have to go lower,” Wang told DW. “If you want to go after these markets, you can’t expect everyone to afford a $1,200 [€1,025] iPhone 17 Pro.”
