Samsung tops global smartphone market despite fierce competition

Samsung is facing extremely tough competition in several segments, including smartphones, semiconductor chips, and TVs. At least in the smartphone segment, the company has been able to claw back to secure the number one position according to the latest market research figures.

The latest report from IDC reveals that Samsung was the world's biggest smartphone brand in the second quarter (Q2) of 2025. The South Korean firm shipped 58 million smartphones during the April – June quarter, and that is a nearly 8% improvement compared to the same period last year when it shipped 53.8 million Galaxy phones. The company captured nearly 20% of the market, according to the report.

However, the company shipped slightly fewer phones compared to Q1 2025 when it shipped 60 million smartphones on the back of impressive Galaxy S25 series sales. IDC says Samsung's impressive performance is due to good sales of Galaxy A series phones. You can see the complete picture in the table below.

Apple ranked second by shipping 46.4 million iPhones during the second quarter of this year. That is a 1.5% improvement compared to last year. The iPhone maker's drop is significantly higher compared to the previous quarter, though, as people might be waiting for the new iPhones that are expected to launch in the third quarter (July – September) of this year.

Xiaomi ranked third with 42.5 million smartphone shipments, and it captured a market share of 14.4%. Vivo ranked fourth by shipping 27.1 million smartphones, and it captured a 9.2% market share. Transsion, which sells phones under three brands (Infinix, Itel, and Tecno), shipped 25.1 million smartphones. It captured a 9.2% share of the market as well.

Samsung recently launched four new high-end phones: Galaxy S25 Edge, Galaxy Z Flip 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, and Galaxy Z Fold 7. It remains to be seen how many of those devices the South Korean firm manages to sell.