Samsung retains smartphone crown amid rising competition from Apple

Samsung appears to be regaining momentum in most of its key business areas. Recently, it has secured chip manufacturing orders from major players like Apple and Tesla. Additionally, its new foldable phones have received overwhelmingly positive feedback, solidifying its position as the leader in the smartphone market.

During the third quarter (Q3) of 2025, Samsung sold more smartphones globally compared to its rivals. According to IDC's latest report, the company shipped 61.4 million smartphones, which is a 6.3% improvement compared to Q3 2024. Its market share was 19% during the period, helping it retain its number one ranking. In Q3 2024, Samsung shipped 57.7 million phones to capture a market share of 18.4%.

Samsung achieved its best-ever third-quarter growth in Q3 2025, according to the report. This growth is attributed to the overwhelming response from consumers to the company’s new foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Moreover, these two phones outperformed all previous Galaxy Z series devices in terms of sales, which is excellent news for the South Korean firm.

Samsung is well-positioned for the launch of its first tri-folding smartphone later this month, thanks to its strong performance. Last night, the company announced that it will unveil its first extended reality (XR) headset on October 21. Both products are segment-first for Samsung, so their performance will be crucial, especially considering Apple’s recent failure with its first XR headset, the Vision Pro.

Apple shipped 58.6 million iPhones during the same period, ranking second in the global smartphone market with an 18.2% market share. Xiaomi ranked third after shipping 43.5 million phones, while Transsion shipped 29.2 million smartphones to rank fourth. Vivo shipped 28.9 million smartphones during Q3 2025 to capture an 8.9% share of the market.