Apple knocks out the competition. In Q4 2025, we mostly bought iPhones

Apple has huge reasons to celebrate. The Cupertino giant took first place in the fourth quarter of 2025. Its share in the global smartphone market was as much as 25%. This is a record result, fueled by great sales of the iPhone 17 series.

It turned out that the base iPhone 17 is selling much better than analysts expected. This was helped by greater memory resources while maintaining the old price. The completely new iPhone Air has also made its contribution. This very slim model has become the brand’s new showcase and attracted crowds of style-seeking customers to its showrooms.

Samsung came in second place with 18% share. The Koreans focused heavily on slightly cheaper devices. The Galaxy A17 models in 4G and 5G versions were real hits in the budget segment. It is these phones that allowed Samsung to maintain a safe distance from the rest of the pack.

Xiaomi retained third place, but the company has some reasons for concern. Its shares fell to 11% in the last quarter of the year. The Chinese giant is facing problems in several key markets. Despite this, throughout the year they are still confidently on the podium. Oppo also returned to the game and jumped into the top five again.

The entire market grew by 2% in 2025. A total of 1.25 billion phones were sold. This is a good result, but dark clouds are gathering over the industry. Manufacturers are struggling with the increasingly higher costs of component production. The biggest problem currently is the lack of DRAM memory.

Component shortages mean cheap phones could soon become more expensive. Companies are already looking for savings and joining forces. The Realme brand officially comes under Oppo’s wing to make costs easier to manage. The year 2026 will therefore be marked by the fight for margins and the search for efficiency.