After a long wait of 14 years, Apple is finally taking the crown from Samsung in global smartphone shipments and it’s all thanks to the iPhone 17. This year, Apple’s iPhone shipments are expected to reach around 243 million, edging past Samsung’s 235 million units. So now Apple owns a slice of roughly 19.4% of the global smartphone market as opposed to Samsung’s 18.7%. I don’t know about you, but Apple’s ghar wapasi as the largest global smartphone shipper was not on my 2025 bingo card.
The big driver? Strong demand for the iPhone 17 series that was launched during the fall event this year. Consumers in the U.S., China, and other major markets rushed to upgrade as soon as these phones hit stores. Market analysts believe that this increase in numbers can also be attributed to the smartphone replacement cycle reaching its inflection point this year. Apparently many users who had held onto their pandemic-era devices till now, finally swapped them out, boosting the iPhone shipments even more.
Samsung, while still giving a great performance, sadly could not match Apple’s momentum this year. The combination of a high-performance new model, eager upgraders, solid marketing, and surprisingly the colour orange ended up making Apple reclaim the top spot it last held back in 2011. Who would’ve thought that Orange can help Apple grow! I suppose that’s why Apple is known as a visionary.
The milestone is more than just a number—it’s a sign of how fiercely competitive the smartphone world has become. Apple’s win this year shows that even after more than a decade, innovation can turn the tables if done right. What’s left to see now is, if Apple manages to stay on this high-ground or does Samsung has some up its sleeves.
