Canalys has published a fresh report on global smartphone shipments. According to the data, 296.9 million devices were shipped to the market in the first quarter of 2025, up just 0.2 per cent from the same period last year. Shipments rose in China and the US, but fell in India, Europe and the Middle East.
Declines in India, Latin America and the Middle East point to market saturation. via the upcoming Ecodesign Directive.
In Africa, “retail activity” and” proactive market expansion measures ” by smartphone makers fuelled sales growth. Companies such as Vivo and Honor recorded double-digit growth in their overseas markets. Honor, meanwhile, posted an all-time high in shipments outside China, analysts said.
Apple increased shipments of its smartphones to the US market before new import tariffs were imposed to try to avoid additional costs. While most iPhone smartphones are still made in China, the company ramped up production of the iPhone 15 and 16 models in India by the end of the quarter, and increased production of the iPhone 16 Pro model.
In terms of market distribution, Samsung maintained its leadership in the first quarter of 2025 with a 20 per cent share (60.5 million smartphones). It is followed by Apple with a 19% share (55 million devices), mainly due to inventory build-up in March. Xiaomi remained in third place with a 14% share (41.8 million smartphones), while Vivo and Oppo rounded out the top five, accounting for 22.9 million and 22.7 million units shipped, respectively.
Canalys notes that major brands remain “optimistic” about the market’s recovery in the second quarter. Lower inventory levels and new product launches should improve sales performance, but competition in the mid-price segment (devices priced between $200 and $400) will be increasingly fierce. Analysts also believe that escalating global trade tensions could prompt countries to localise smartphone production, which would require additional investment and cost reductions.