While the smartphone market in its entirety didn't exactly impress during the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period of last year, "premium" sales grew at a much better pace thanks to segment leader Apple, silver medalist Samsung, but especially rising stars like Xiaomi and Google.
The iPhone 16, Galaxy S25, and Pixel 9 series are all selling like hotcakes
Yes, Google deserves all the praise in the world for doubling, yes, doubling its global premium smartphone sales figures between H1 2024 and H1 2025. But it would be incredibly unfair to let that admittedly outstanding achievement completely overshadow Apple's dominant 62 percent slice of the pie.
Yes, the Cupertino-based tech giant was responsible for nearly two thirds of all $600 and up handsets sold around the world in the January–June 2025 timeframe, boosting its volume by 3 percent while dropping from a 65 percent share in the first half of 2024 to that aforementioned 62 percent.
That's not a big decline for Apple, but it's probably enough to cause some concern in the Cupertino camp.
Oddly enough, the iPhone 16 family didn't earn an individual mention in the latest Counterpoint Research report despite very clearly selling very well, while Samsung's Galaxy S25 roster is explicitly labeled a better performer than the Galaxy S24 trio, helping its maker retain the second position among the top premium smartphone vendors.
Unlike Apple, Samsung managed to keep its market share unchanged, at 20 percent, thus closing the gap to the gold medal spot to "only" 42 percent. Obviously, the hierarchy of power in the premium smartphone universe is not expected to change anytime soon, although Google might be able to challenge Huawei's third place if high-end Pixels continue to expand like they did in H1 2025.
With "more aggressive" marketing than ever and new regions reached, the Pixel 9 family boosted Google's global premium sales by a mind-blowing 105 percent, which allowed the search giant to break into the top five vendors' club for the first time in five years.
Can Google keep this up?
Probably not. Not to that insane degree, at least, as another doubling of the company's sales numbers after the recent Pixel 10 series launch feels almost utopian.
The Pixel 10 family could certainly outsell the Pixel 9 series, but likely not by 105 percent. | Image Credit -- Google
But the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold are undeniably more appealing than their predecessors in a bunch of key ways, and Big G's marketing efforts don't seem to be slowing down. If anything, they're ramping up, and if Apple is not careful, its 62 percent slice of the premium segment pie could well continue to shrink at the expense of not just Google, but Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi too.
Xiaomi, mind you, made massive 55 percent gains of its own in the global premium market thanks primarily to the Chinese premium segment, while Huawei is clinging on to that last place on the podium after a solid but not exactly breathtaking 24 percent progress between H1 2024 and H1 2025.
How will the premium market as a whole change over the next few years or so?
That, my friends, is the million-dollar question no one can definitively answer just yet, although if you're wondering, my opinion largely lines up with that of Counterpoint's analysts today.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 could be the beginning of a beautiful rise for foldable smartphones around the world. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
Foldables are starting to look like the key to Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, and yes, even Apple's mid to long-term health in this sector, and with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 exceeding all expectations, any further delays in the first-gen iPhone Fold's development could seriously harm Cupertino's chances of retaining (let alone improving) that 62 percent share.
Similarly, of course, Google needs to work on its launch schedules to avoid the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's delay from ever happening again, while Samsung... actually looks to be in a great spot for not just long-term, but also short-term growth with the extremely well-received Z Fold 7 and a Galaxy S26 Edge that could destroy the iPhone 17 Air on the battery life front.
"Iconic Phones" is coming this Fall!
Rediscover some of the most unique and memorable phones of the last two decades! "Iconic Phones" is a beautifully illustrated book that we've been working on for over a year - and it's coming out in just a couple short month!
"Iconic Phones: Revolution at Your Fingertips" is a must-have coffee table book for every phone lover out there. Covering the stories of more than 20 fan-favorite phones, it takes you on a memorable journey through the technological revolution that shaped our lives. Sign up now to secure an early discount price!
LEARN MORE AND SIGN UP FOR EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS HERE
