Honor led the smartphone market in 2025 with an impressive 11% growth in shipments, outpacing every other major global brand—a surprising shakeup in a sector long dominated by Apple and Samsung.
- Global smartphone shipments increased by 2% in 2025, the largest jump since 2021.
- Apple and Samsung both experienced 7% growth, driven by the iPhone 17 and Galaxy S25 series, respectively.
- Honor’s 11% growth rate was the highest among all smartphone brands.
- Oppo and Xiaomi saw declines of 3% and 2%, respectively, while Vivo posted a modest 4% increase.
A new report from Omdia revealed that 2025 saw a 2% increase in global smartphone shipments, marking the biggest year-over-year rise since 2021. Apple benefited the most from this trend, with iPhone shipments climbing 7% to reach 240.6 million units, fueled by strong consumer interest in the iPhone 17 lineup.
On the Android side, Samsung also enjoyed a solid year, mirroring Apple’s 7% growth. Demand for the Galaxy S25 series and the improved Galaxy Z Fold 7 contributed to this success. However, it was Honor that truly stood out, achieving the highest growth rate among all flagship brands.
Honor’s impressive 11% growth was the highest reported by any flagship manufacturer last year. The company launched several notable devices, including the Honor Magic V5 foldable and the Honor Magic 8 Pro earlier in the year.
Interestingly, Honor was the sole major Chinese brand to demonstrate strong growth; Oppo and Xiaomi experienced declines of 3% and 2%, respectively, while Vivo saw a more modest increase of 4%.
While a separate report from Counterpoint Research indicated strong growth for Google’s Pixel line in 2025, the Omdia report did not include specific figures.
Looking ahead to 2026, the smartphone industry faces headwinds. Rising memory prices and increased competition for components from data centers are driving up manufacturing costs, potentially leading to higher prices for consumers and a slowdown in sales.
