Apple’s iPhone 17 drives modest global smartphone growth in 2025

Strong iPhone 17 shipments supported global smartphone volumes in 2025, with industry analysts noting a stabilising Chinese market and rising consumer demand, though rising costs threaten future growth.

Apple’s strong iPhone 17 shipments were a key driver of modest global smartphone growth in 2025, industry trackers show, tempering weakness elsewhere and lifting overall unit volumes after several sluggish years. According to IDC, shipments rose about 1.5% year‑on‑year as Apple’s recent models and a stabilising Chinese market supported demand. ^[1][2]

IDC’s forecast credits Apple with a particularly large contribution: robust iPhone 17 sales helped push iPhone shipments into the mid‑two‑hundreds of millions for the year, underpinning iOS growth while Android’s expansion slowed in IDC’s view. The research firm also highlights rebounds in several emerging markets as part of the broader picture. ^[1][2]

Not all research firms quantify the market the same way. Reuters’ reporting of IDC data put Apple’s 2025 iPhone shipments at roughly 247 million units and projected iPhone revenue of about $261 billion, pointing to especially strong demand in China where Apple’s share rose above 20% in late 2025. Other IDC releases and summaries have produced slightly different percentage forecasts for region and OS splits, reflecting methodological differences in how vendors and channels are counted. According to the original report, these are forecasts rather than final audited shipment numbers. ^[2][1][6]

Meanwhile, handset makers are responding to changing market dynamics with product and price moves that are likely to shape volumes next year. Samsung’s launch of the high‑end Galaxy Z TriFold illustrates manufacturers’ push into premium, niche form factors even as foldables remain a small share of the market and are unlikely to drive large unit volumes in the near term. Analysts say rising component costs and high prices will keep these devices largely as technology showcases for now. ^[3]

Cost pressures are also a looming downside: IDC and Reuters note that rising memory and component prices are expected to lift average selling prices and weigh on shipments in 2026, with IDC forecasting a decline in global shipments the following year as margin and pricing headwinds bite. That underlines how 2025’s gains may be uneven and partly cyclical. ^[2][6]

Consumer behaviour and channel activity have amplified Apple’s momentum in 2025. Heavy promotional activity over events such as Cyber Monday, plus a large and growing secondary iPhone resale market and continued upgrade demand from devices bought during the pandemic, have all supported near‑term iPhone sales, according to market commentary and retail tracking. These factors help explain why Apple outperformed several peers in unit and value metrics this year. ^[5][4]

Looking further ahead, forecasters diverge: some IDC materials project slower iOS growth in select years amid Android recoveries in certain markets, while other analysts see Apple challenging Samsung’s long‑standing lead in shipments depending on model uptake and pricing. Industry data shows that short‑term gains driven by a hit model can be significant but do not guarantee a permanent reshuffle of market positions without sustained product and channel momentum. ^[6][4][1]

📌 Reference Map:

Reference Map:

• ^[1] (Android Headlines) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 7
• ^[2] (Reuters: IDC smartphone forecast) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 5
• ^[6] (Business Wire / IDC release) – Paragraph 3, Paragraph 5, Paragraph 7
• ^[3] (Reuters: Samsung TriFold) – Paragraph 4
• ^[4] (TechRadar / Counterpoint coverage) – Paragraph 6, Paragraph 7
• ^[5] (Tom’s Guide Cyber Monday) – Paragraph 6

Source: Fuse Wire Services