Whereas the smartphone market in its entirety did not precisely impress in the course of the first six months of 2025 in comparison with the identical interval of final 12 months, “premium” gross sales grew
at a a lot better tempo due to phase chief
Apple, silver medalist Samsung, however particularly rising stars like Xiaomi and Google.
The iPhone 16, Galaxy S25, and Pixel 9 collection are all promoting like hotcakes
Sure,
Google deserves all of the reward on the earth for doubling, sure, doubling its world premium smartphone gross sales figures between H1 2024 and H1 2025. However it might be extremely unfair to let that admittedly excellent achievement fully overshadow Apple’s dominant 62 p.c slice of the pie.
Sure, the Cupertino-based tech large was liable for almost two thirds of all $600 and up handsets bought around the globe within the January–June 2025 timeframe, boosting its quantity by 3 p.c whereas dropping from a 65 p.c share within the first half of 2024 to that aforementioned 62 p.c.
That is not a giant decline for Apple, but it surely’s in all probability sufficient to trigger some concern within the Cupertino camp.
Oddly sufficient, the
iPhone 16 household did not earn a person point out within the newest Counterpoint Analysis report regardless of very clearly promoting very effectively, whereas Samsung’s
Galaxy S25 roster is explicitly labeled a greater performer than the
Galaxy S24 trio, serving to its maker retain the second place among the many high premium smartphone distributors.
Not like Apple,
Samsung managed to maintain its market share unchanged, at 20 p.c, thus closing the hole to the gold medal spot to “solely” 42 p.c. Clearly, the hierarchy of energy within the premium smartphone universe isn’t anticipated to vary anytime quickly, though Google would possibly have the ability to problem Huawei’s third place if high-end Pixels proceed to broaden like they did in H1 2025.
With “extra aggressive” advertising than ever and new areas reached, the
Pixel 9 household boosted Google’s world premium gross sales by a mind-blowing 105 p.c, which allowed the search large to interrupt into the highest 5 distributors’ membership for the primary time in 5 years.
Can Google hold this up?
In all probability not. To not that insane diploma, no less than, as one other doubling of the corporate’s gross sales numbers after the latest
Pixel 10 collection launch feels nearly utopian.
The Pixel 10 household may definitely outsell the Pixel 9 collection, however possible not by 105 p.c. | Picture Credit score — Google
However the
Pixel 10,
Pixel 10 Professional,
Pixel 10 Professional XL, and
Pixel 10 Professional Fold are undeniably extra interesting than their predecessors in a bunch of key methods, and Huge G’s advertising efforts are not slowing down. If something, they’re ramping up, and if Apple isn’t cautious, its 62 p.c slice of the premium phase pie may effectively proceed to shrink on the expense of not simply Google, however Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi too.
Xiaomi, thoughts you, made large 55 p.c positive factors of its personal within the world premium market thanks primarily to the Chinese language premium phase, whereas Huawei is clinging on to that final place on the rostrum after a strong however not precisely breathtaking 24 p.c progress between H1 2024 and H1 2025.
How will the premium market as an entire change over the following few years or so?
That, my associates, is the million-dollar query nobody can definitively reply simply but, though in case you’re questioning, my opinion largely traces up with that of Counterpoint’s analysts as we speak.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 might be the start of a ravishing rise for foldable smartphones around the globe. | Picture Credit score — PhoneArena
Foldables are beginning to seem like the important thing to Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, and sure, even Apple’s mid to long-term well being on this sector, and with the
Galaxy Z Fold 7 exceeding all expectations, any additional delays within the first-gen
iPhone Fold‘s growth may critically hurt Cupertino’s possibilities of retaining (not to mention bettering) that 62 p.c share.
Equally, in fact, Google must work on its launch schedules to keep away from the
Pixel 10 Professional Fold’s delay from ever occurring once more, whereas Samsung… truly seems to be to be in a fantastic spot for not simply long-term, but additionally short-term progress with the extraordinarily well-received
Z Fold 7 and a
Galaxy S26 Edge that would destroy the
iPhone 17 Air on the battery life entrance.
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