Narrative: Global Smartphone Shipment Forecast by Vendor by Region by Quarter: September 2025

Explore revised smartphone shipment forecasts for 2025–2026 with regional shifts, Apple-Samsung leadership changes, and growth led by Chinese brands.

TechInsights has slightly revised upwards the 2025 and 2026 global smartphone shipment forecasts, reflecting eased concerns about trade wars, reduced tariff volatility, and encouraging recovery signals in selective emerging markets. Shipments for North America, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa have been revised upward, while Central Latin America and Central Eastern Europe projections have been adjusted downward. Apple is projected to surpass Samsung as the largest smartphone vendor in 2025, driven by a refreshed product portfolio. However, Samsung is expected to tie with Apple and reclaim the leading position in 2026. Leading Chinese brands are positioned to outpace the total market in 2026, benefiting from their strong foothold in emerging markets, which will fuel the next wave of growth.