Samsung becomes world’s biggest smartphone brand once again

After getting humbled by Apple in the fourth quarter of last year, Samsung is back to the number one position in the global smartphone segment. The South Korean firm led the smartphone sales charts in the first quarter of 2025, thanks to strong sales of the Galaxy S25 series.

According to the latest numbers from Canalys, Samsung was the world's biggest smartphone brand in Q1 2025 in terms of sales. It shipped 60.5 million smartphones globally during the quarter, capturing a 20% share of the market. Its sales improved by 1% compared to last year. This performance was attributed to strong sales of the Galaxy S25 and new Galaxy A series phones.

Samsung's performance was largely in line with the overall global smartphone segment, which saw flat growth compared to last year. The next few quarters could be harsh for Samsung, with tariffs looming large in the USA. The company may need to increase the prices of its phones and other devices in the coming months. It may be forced to shift most of the smartphone production from Vietnam to India to reduce the effect of US tariffs.

Apple was the second-biggest smartphone brand after Samsung. The US-based company shipped 55 million iPhones during Q1 2025. It is a 13% rise compared to last year, and this is due to strong sales of all iPhones. A lot of consumers bought iPhones fearing a prices rise after tariffs are applied. The iPhone 16e also sold well.

Xiaomi was the world's third-biggest smartphone brand in Q1 2025. The Chinese firm shipped 41.8 million smartphones during the quarter and captured a 14% share of the market, the same as last year. Vivo shipped 22.9 million phones and had a market share of 8%, while OPPO shipped 22.7 million phones and had a market share of 8% during the quarter.

Due to the threat of a possible financial crisis, smartphone brands could optimize their smartphone lineups and supply chains in the coming months. Canalys expects competition in the $200 to $400 price segment to increase as smartphone brands try to increase their average selling prices (ASPs).

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S25 Edge this month to push the sales of the Galaxy S25 even further. In the second half of this year, the South Korean firm is expected to launch four foldable phones: Galaxy Z Flip 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, Galaxy Z Fold 7, and its first dual-folding phone that can turn from a phone into a proper tablet-sized device.

Collectively, these upcoming Galaxy phones could improve Samsung's sales and the ASP could reach higher levels compared to earlier.