Nearly 1 in 4 Active Smartphones Worldwide Is an iPhone [Report]

Nearly one out of every four smartphones currently in use around the world is an iPhone, according to Counterpoint Research. The firm says Apple now leads the market by active installed base in 2025. The global number of active smartphones grew by 2 percent last year, driven by replacement cycles stretching to nearly four years and a growing share of second-life devices remaining in use.



While shipment numbers often grab headlines, the installed base metric highlights device longevity, user retention, and ecosystem loyalty. Eight manufacturers now have more than 200 million active devices in circulation, together accounting for over 80 percent of the global base. However, only Apple and Samsung have crossed the one-billion mark. Apple pulled ahead significantly in 2025, adding more net new smartphone devices than the next seven leading brands combined. That kind of user growth is rare in a mature market.


The data aligns with Apple's own recent financial disclosures. During the Q1 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook revealed that the company's total active installed base across all products had reached a new high of 2.5 billion devices. Counterpoint notes that Apple and Samsung together control 44 percent of the global smartphone base. Samsung holds the second spot with around one-fifth share, supported by a broad portfolio that spans entry-level devices to premium foldables and strong geographic reach.

The premium segment is doing the heavy lifting here. Consumers are keeping high-end phones longer simply because they last—hardware builds are better, software support runs longer, and resale value stays high. But it isn't all smooth sailing. A shortage of memory chips is driving up component costs, making it harder to push out higher-spec models without raising prices. We have previously covered reports warning that rising memory prices are already pressuring margins and could impact shipments going into 2026.

With upgrade cycles stretching out, competition is shifting from hardware specs to software features. On-device AI and how well devices work together are starting to matter more when it comes to keeping users loyal to a brand. Apple continues to generate revenue from customers long after the initial device sale. The company's services revenue is still growing at a double-digit rate, showing how much that installed base now matters to Apple's business.