Samsung is ending 2025 on a high note with strong sales of the Galaxy S25 series and the increased popularity of foldable smartphones. The S25 series delivered its best performance in years, with more than half of the 9.16 million units sold – 5.08 million – coming from the Ultra version, which did particularly well in South Korea with a record 1.3 million orders.
Sales of the S25 Ultra were up 7.1 per cent over the S24 Ultra, although the changes were fairly modest – a new 50MP ultra-wide-angle module and an S Pen without Bluetooth. The Samsung Galaxy S25 also saw an 11.6 per cent increase in sales thanks to 12GB of RAM and a move to the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor.
The Galaxy Fold7 and Flip7 foldable devices were a success, with Samsung now controlling 64 per cent of the foldable smartphone market and Fold7 sales up 50 per cent on the previous generation. The first limited edition Samsung Galaxy TriFold attracted particular attention; the commercial purpose was not the main goal-the device became a symbol of innovation. Also recognised as key growth drivers in the second quarter were the Galaxy A56 and A36 models according to IDC.
At the same time, some models showed modest results. Sales of the Galaxy S25+ were average, and the Galaxy S25 Edge had virtually no demand. Exynos chips remain a weaker alternative to Snapdragon, the Galaxy S25 FE distinguished itself with minimal updates and a high price, while the Galaxy Flip7 FE had an outdated design and hardware. The Galaxy Watch8 and Watch8 Classic smartwatches received an ambiguous “square and round” design.
In the end, 2025 confirmed Samsung’s strong position in the flagship and foldable smartphone market, but showed challenges with experimental models, Exynos and wearable devices.