In the first half of 2025, the premium smartphone market grew by 8% compared to 2024. According to Counterpoint Research, this is a record result for the first half of the year and significantly exceeds the growth of the entire smartphone market, which rose by only 4%.
According to the report, the trend towards “premiumization” is observed across all regions as consumers increasingly use their smartphones and choose premium devices for a better experience. Overall, premium smartphones accounted for 60% of global revenue from all sales during the first half of the year.
Apple remains the leader, having seen a 3% increase in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024. Despite its leadership, the iPhone maker has the smallest increase and even a decline in overall market share from 65% to 62% due to high competition, particularly in the Chinese market, where Huawei remains a popular option for loyal buyers.
Google had the biggest gain in the first half of the year, increasing its premium smartphone sales by 105%. The company entered the top five for the first time in premium device sales thanks to expansion into new regions and the success of last year's Pixel 9 lineup.
Xiaomi is also putting more emphasis on "premiumizing" its products, including smartphones, which are seeing increased demand due to integration with electric vehicles and other home appliances. Samsung maintains its second position and has a 7% increase thanks to the Galaxy S25 series, which showed better results than last year's S24. Analysts expect the Galaxy Fold7 to also have higher sales than its predecessor.
The foldable smartphone market remains niche, but it is growing. According to Counterpoint, they have become an important differentiator for brands and a strategic step in expanding premium lines. At the same time, analysts note that gadgets with generative AI will provide 80% of all sales in the first half of 2025.