India, Jan. 12 -- In 2025, Apple emerged as the largest smartphone brand globally by shipment share, according to Counterpoint Research. Worldwide smartphone shipments grew by a modest 2% year-on-year during the period, but Apple accounted for the biggest slice of the market at around 20%. This performance was driven by strong demand for the newly launched iPhone 17 series and rising interest in iPhones across developing markets, including India. Samsung followed closely with a little over 19% of shipments, while Xiaomi ranked third with a 13% share.

Apple's leadership in global shipments points to solid momentum going into the next product cycle. The success of the iPhone 17 series has fuelled replacement demand, allowing Apple to grow ...