Seoul: Samsung Electronics Co. secured the second spot in the global smartphone market in 2025, as reported by industry data released Tuesday. The company's smartphone shipments increased by 5 percent compared to the previous year, primarily driven by strong sales of its budget lineup.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean tech giant held a 19 percent share of the global smartphone market in 2025, marking an increase of 1 percentage point from the previous year, based on data from industry tracker Counterpoint Research. Meanwhile, U.S.-based Apple Inc. led the market with a 20 percent share, reflecting a growth of 2 percentage points from the prior year.

Counterpoint Research indicated that Samsung's global smartphone shipments rose 5 percent in 2025 from a year earlier. The increase was attributed to strong sales of the budget Galaxy A models. Additionally, the premium Galaxy Fold 7 and the flagship Galaxy S25 models outperformed their predecessors, contributing to Samsung's overall market performance.

The report also highlighted that China's Xiaomi held the third position with an 18 percent market share. Vivo Mobile Communication Co. and OPPO Electronics Corp. each accounted for 8 percent of the market. Looking ahead to 2026, Counterpoint Research predicted that Samsung Electronics and Apple are expected to maintain stable sales, supported by their robust supply chains, which can mitigate concerns over the global chip shortage and rising production costs.