iPhone accounts for 25% of active smartphones

Data from market research firm Counterpoint’s installed device tracking tool shows that the total number of active smartphones globally will only increase by 2% in 2025. This is mainly due to the prolonged product life cycle of users and the continuous circulation of used devices.

In particular, iPhone accounts for 25% of total active smartphones, ranking first in the world. Unlike shipment data, which measures annual sales, active device data reflects the actual number of devices in use – a key indicator of users’ long-term preference for a brand.

Counterpoint experts attribute this position to a combination of user loyalty, integrated services and a large ecosystem. Last year, Apple overwhelmed Android smartphone manufacturers with more newly activated iPhones than the total of its 7 largest competitors combined. This reflects the company’s ability to attract and retain users despite slowing global smartphone growth and less groundbreaking hardware innovations.

Ranked second is Samsung with 20% of all active smartphones. The gap between these two giants and the rest of the industry is increasingly widening, with only Apple and Samsung surpassing the milestone of one billion active devices worldwide.

Other brands such as Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo are in the second group with a user base mainly built on mid-range and high-end devices. Meanwhile, Transsion Group – parent company of Tecno, Infinix – grows thanks to low-cost devices, focusing on emerging markets such as the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia. Honor is the latest brand to surpass 200 million active devices, with Motorola and Realme also approaching the mark.

According to experts, there are three reasons that help iPhone dominate the number of active devices. First is the trend of prioritizing high-end smartphones. Currently, the user’s phone replacement cycle has extended to a record level of nearly four years. With the advantage of long-term software support and durable hardware, iPhones work well after many years, often being popular on the used device market instead of being thrown away.

Next, iPhones keep their prices better than Android phones, so users often choose high-end Pro models. Finally, when hardware reaches its saturation point, users tend to choose software-based devices. Deep integration of services, work tools and AI on iPhone helps Apple retain old customers and attract new users.

The report also said that revenue from Apple’s services segment increased nearly 14% in the last quarter of 2025, reaching more than 30 billion USD. This is an important factor that helps the company maintain its leading position even when the global smartphone market shows signs of slowing growth.