Samsung regains smartphone market lead with AI strategy
Samsung is back as the world's biggest smartphone seller, edging past Apple in early 2025. According to IDC, global phone shipments grew just a bit—up 0.4%—to 301.4 million units this quarter. Samsung led the pack with 60.6 million phones shipped, grabbing a 20.1% market share.
Samsung's AI-powered Galaxy S25 and budget-friendly A36 and A56 models were big hits, appealing to all kinds of users and helping them pull ahead of Apple. Meanwhile, Apple still had its best-ever Q1 with 58.7 million shipments (up 11.6%), thanks to prepping for US tariff changes and strong demand abroad—but struggled in China where cheaper phones got government support. Chinese brands like Xiaomi and Vivo also saw gains from local subsidies, showing how much price—and timing—matter in today's phone wars.