News: Markets
4 December 2025
Smartphone production grows 9% in Q3/2025, driven by seasonal demand and new product releases
In second-half 2025, the smartphone market entered its peak season, with new product launches further boosting output, according to the latest research by market analyst TrendForce. In third-quarter 2025, global smartphone production hit 328 million units, up 9% quarter-on-quarter and 7% year-on-year. These numbers highlight a distinct seasonal uptick.
TrendForce notes that demand in fourth-quarter 2025 will be supported by the release of new flagship models and extensive inventory buildup for global e-commerce sales. Nevertheless, constrained memory supply and increasing prices are likely to reduce profit margins, particularly for entry-level devices, potentially limiting expected growth. TrendForce currently predicts a 1.6% year-on-year increase in production for 2025, but cautions that ongoing memory supply issues could lead to a further downward revision.
In 2025, China experienced a significant boost from subsidy programs in the first quarter, but their impact has gradually weakened. Full-year sales are projected to grow 2%, maintaining China's position as the largest smartphone market globally with a 23% share.
India follows with a 13% share, supported by recovering demand and expected annual growth of 2%.
North America, the third-largest market, initially stocked up inventory in the first half due to tariff concerns. However, demand has softened since then, and full-year sales are projected to fall by 1%, accounting for an 11% market share.
Samsung produced nearly 63 million units in Q3/2025, up 8% quarter-on-quarter, maintaining its leading position with a 19% market share. The Galaxy A series continued to boost volume, and the updated foldable lineup received positive market response, supporting high-end sales.
Apple closely followed with 57 million units — its highest Q3 production ever. Its tactic of keeping the iPhone 17 base models’ prices the same while increasing storage was successful. Additionally, improved design differentiation in the Pro series helped to maintain strong sales momentum.
Xiaomi (including Redmi and POCO) took third place with nearly 45 million units produced, up 6% quarter-on-quarter, supported by new model launches and holiday stocking.
OPPO (including OnePlus and Realme) ranked fourth with about 40 million units, up 8%, supported by recovering sales in India, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
Transsion (TECNO, Infinix, itel) experienced robust demand in emerging markets across Africa and Asia, manufacturing over 29 million units — up 9% quarter-on-quarter — and ranking fifth.
Vivo (including iQOO) closely followed, with market share less than 0.5 percentage points below Transsion. The strong sales of mid-to-high-end models from the iQOO series and active stocking during the festival season have boosted its Q3 production by over 8%, reaching about 28 million units.
