Good news for Apple. For the first time in history, its iPhone has become the best-selling mobile phone during the first quarter of the year. The Californian firm led by Tim Cook has swept the first quarter of 2025 with a very good presence of its recently released iPhone 16e, according to Counterpoint Research.
It’s no surprise that Apple posted record revenue in its fiscal first quarter of 2025 financial results. The Cupertino company now sits at the top of global smartphone sales.
The exaggerated proposal of the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, added to the more affordable option of the iPhone 16e in February, has contributed to iPhone sales skyrocketing, reaching a 19% market share .
Apple captured a 19% market share of global smartphone sales in the first quarter of the year. Its success is largely due to the arrival of the iPhone 16e, priced at around €709 ($599 in the US), although it’s currently on sale at a steep discount on Amazon.
In second place, with an 18% market share, is Samsung. The South Korean firm has been experiencing declining sales figures since the first quarter of 2023 due to the rise of other manufacturers such as Xiaomi.
For its part, Xiaomi had a 14% market share this quarter. OPPO accounted for 8% of sales, and Vivo also held an 8% market share.
Finally, it’s also worth noting that global mobile phone sales are not going through their best period. Despite all this, Apple stands out as the leading manufacturer in the sector. Smartphone sales figures for 2025 are down 3% compared to the same period last year. We’ll see how Donald Trump’s tariffs affect iPhone sales in the next quarter. While Apple could absorb the impact, everything indicates it won’t be the entirety.
