This is not as frequently discussed and analyzed by market research firms as quarterly and yearly handset shipments or even the profits generated by said shipments for the top global vendors, but it says a lot about a company's ability to retain and expand its user base.
Did you know that almost one in four active smartphones is an iPhone?
I'll admit I had no idea Apple's active installed base was so incredibly large before reading this report, and what's perhaps even more surprising for me is that nearly one in two smartphones in use worldwide right now are either an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy.
Apple and Samsung are really in a league of their own as far as active smartphones are concerned.
That's right, Apple and Samsung hold a combined 44 percent share of the global active smartphone installed base as of the end of 2025, with the number one player standing at close to 25 percent and the silver medalist narrowly falling short of a 20 percent slice of the pie.
While both of those numbers are undeniably impressive, it must hurt Samsung to be so clearly behind its arch-rival after leading the global smartphone sales charts for so many years (prior to 2024 and 2025). The explanation is, of course, pretty simple, as iPhone buyers tend to hold on to their devices significantly longer than Android users, thus strengthening that active installed base even when shipments aren't exactly booming.
Recommended For You
How often do you upgrade your smartphone?
Apple also managed to absolutely crush all its rivals in net additions to its industry-leading active base last year, boosting that number by more than the combined gains of the next seven manufacturers. That means Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Transsion, Huawei, and Honor's number of active smartphones increased in 2025 by a smaller (combined) margin than what Apple added to its installed iPhone base compared to 2024.
How many active smartphones are there in the world today?
Oddly enough, Counterpoint Research doesn't answer that question... directly, but knowing that Apple and Samsung are the only brands with over a billion active mobile devices under their belt, we can put the total number at more than five billion.
That definitely makes it a little disappointing for all other companies to see Apple and Samsung leave no room for anyone else in the one-billion club, although for what it's worth, the 200 million+ club does include an additional six brands (which are already listed above).
In ninth and tenth place, respectively, Motorola and Realme are also inching close to reaching the 200 million milestone, and at least for the former brand, I expect that to happen at some point over the next year or so.
Will Apple's supremacy be threatened anytime soon?
I really don't think so, and not just because the Cupertino-based tech giant looks to be in a solid position to lead this year's smartphone shipment chart as well.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is a device you'll probably hold on to for several years... before switching to a different iPhone. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
Apple's main advantage over Samsung (and everyone else) remains the quality and popularity of its super-premium iPhones, which seem to be shining brighter and brighter as far as durability and long-term software support are concerned. That guarantees longer lifespans than many of the best-selling Galaxy A-series and even Galaxy S-series devices out there, possibly securing Apple's top spot in this particular hierarchy for years and years to come.
And let us not forget that the first-ever foldable iPhone is expected out this year, likely starting a new age for a market segment that's been on the verge of breaking into the mainstream for quite some time now. In short, the future looks as bright as always for Apple, and... maybe not very gloomy from this standpoint for Samsung either.
Try Noble Mobile for only $10
Get unlimited talk, text, & data on the T-Mobile 5G Network plus earn cash back for data you don’t use.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: