Samsung Surpasses 1 Billion Active Smartphones Globally

Samsung’s long-term smartphone customer base continues to increase. The company has surpassed 1 billion active smartphones, placing it in second position globally. This accounts for about one-fifth of the global active smartphone installed base.

Samsung saw strong growth in long-term smartphone users

According to data from Counterpoint Research, the global active smartphone installed base grew 2% in 2025. This is mainly because replacement cycles have now increased to nearly four years. On top of that, more devices are getting a second life through resale. Samsung, alongside Apple, has crossed the one-billion active smartphone mark. The two companies held 44% of the global active installed base in 2025.

Speaking of rankings, Samsung came in second place in terms of active smartphone users worldwide. “This is supported by its long-standing market presence, a broad portfolio spanning entry-level to premium segments, and extensive geographic reach across key regions,” said Senior Analyst Karn Chauhan.

Samsung offers a host of benefits with its premium smartphones. These include durable designs, longer software support, solid resale values, and deeper ecosystem integration. As such, users are encouraged to keep their devices longer or sell them to new owners, increasing each phone’s active lifespan. For example, the Galaxy S25 series offers seven generations of major OS upgrades and seven years of security updates. However, the Korean firm needs to improve resale value, as the gap to iPhones has widened in recent years.

Apple led the global active smartphone installed base thanks to strong user loyalty, a deep iOS ecosystem, and tightly integrated services. The company saw more net new active smartphones in 2025 than the next seven leading brands combined. The research firm says that about one in four active smartphones is an iPhone.

Meanwhile, the next six smartphone brands (Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, Transsion, Huawei, and Honor) recorded active installed bases above 200 million devices. However, these brands suffered challenges in the premium segment (priced above $600 wholesale) in 2025, holding only a single-digit sales share.