Honor is not a company to be underestimated, indicates a new report. Even though the king of the smartphone market is still Apple, with Samsung closely following, Honor has actually seen the biggest growth last year.
Honor experiences the biggest growth in shipments year-on-year
A new Omdia report shows how the global smartphone market has grown 2% in 2025. Most companies have seen a positive trend in their shipments, but Honor has seen the biggest growth from the previous year, which is +11%.
Image Credit - Omdia
The market leaders, Apple and Samsung, have both seen 7% growth with 19% market share.
iPhone shipments grew to 240.6 million units and ensured that Apple kept its title as the world's largest smartphone vendor for the third consecutive year. The popularity of the newest iPhones (the iPhone 17) in the fourth quarter of the year helped Cupertino stay on top.
Samsung, on the other hand, finally experienced growth after three years of annual declines. It finished marginally behind Apple with 239.1 million units shipped. The company maintained strong sales with the Galaxy S25 series and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 but also gained more market share in the entry-level segment.
Third place is taken by Xiaomi despite the company suffering a bit towards the end of the year. Vivo came in fourth, and Oppo came in fifth with 100.7 million units in 2025.
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Analysts at Omdia believe that 2026 may not be an easy year, and the industry is going to face some headwinds from supply chain pressures in DRAM, NAND, and other semiconductors.
Image Credit - Omdia
Is it time to jump ship?
The market is still growing, but 2026 may be difficult
The big question now is whether the momentum from 2025 can last. Apple is currently riding high on the iPhone 17's massive success. The base model alone beat all expectations thanks to its much-needed storage boost and ProMotion display.
Meanwhile, Samsung is getting ready to fire back with the Galaxy S26 series, rumored to launch this February. Leaks suggest the S26 Ultra might actually be slightly cheaper in some markets, although the majority of leaks indicate, at least in Europe, there may be a price increase.
The Galaxy S26 phones are rumored to get a speed boost from the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 or the Exynos 2600. The Ultra is reportedly getting a new "privacy display" to stop people from peeking at your screen.
But there's a catch. While 2025 was a year of recovery, 2026 is shaping up to be a year of "sticker shock." Because AI data centers are sucking up all the available memory chips, the cost of parts like DRAM and NAND is skyrocketing.
Analysts warn this could lead to higher phone prices or, in some cases, "downgraded" specs as companies try to keep costs down. For a rising star like Honor, navigating these supply chain hurdles will be the ultimate test to see if it can keep that double-digit growth alive in a much tougher neighborhood.
I'm actually rooting for Honor
It's hard not to be excited about Honor's meteoric 11% growth. For years, the mobile world was basically a two-horse race between Apple and Samsung, with everyone else fighting for the scraps.
However, Honor's surge proves that the "old guard" can still be shaken up. When a company like Honor gains ground, it forces the market leaders to stop playing it safe.
Ultimately, we should all be rooting for Honor to navigate the rocky 2026 supply chain. The memory crisis and rising chip costs are a threat to everyone, but they hit smaller, ambitious brands the hardest.
If Honor can keep its momentum despite these headwinds, it ensures that the "Big Two" can't just coast on brand loyalty and higher prices. More competition means better cameras, faster charging, and more creative designs for all of us, no matter which logo is on the back of our phones.
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Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.
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