According to experts, the growth rate in the high-end smartphone segment (priced from 600 USD or more) is faster than the smartphone market in general, which has only increased by 4% compared to the same period in 2024.
Most brands and regions have grown in this segment, taking advantage of the general trend of consumers "upgrading" smartphones. In general, the high-end smartphone market contributes more than 60% of global smartphone revenue.
Apple is still the No. 1 brand in the high-end smartphone segment, accounting for 62% of the market share. However, their market share decreased slightly compared to last year when other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) grew faster year-on-year.
The iPhone maker has gained a huge advantage in emerging markets, but lost its market share in China to Huawei and Xiaomi. In particular, Huawei has a large number of loyal customers in China, they have also launched many devices with unique designs, such as the Huawei Mate XT tri-fold smartphone.
In the overall global high-end smartphone market in the first 6 months of 2025, Huawei accounted for 8%, ranking third. The Chinese company achieved an annual growth rate of 25%.
Samsung ranked 2nd in this segment with a market share of 20%. The Korean company recorded good sales in the Galaxy S25 series. In addition, their new lines such as the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 have also been well received in major markets around the world.
Google has entered the top 5 premium smartphone brands after 5 years. The company's sales doubled compared to the same period last year, thanks to the strong performance of the Pixel 9 series, expansion to newer markets and stronger marketing efforts.
Google has focused on making a difference to the Pixel line by positioning them as top AI devices with a smooth software experience, rather than focusing only on hardware specifications. Consumer confidence in Pixel devices is growing.
By country, the top 10 markets contributed nearly 80% of sales in the high-end smartphone segment, of which India (up 37% over the same period last year) was the fastest growing market. However, China is still the largest market in terms of high-end smartphone consumption.
According to Counterpoint Research, devices integrated with GenAI (artificial intelligence) have contributed more than 80% of high-end smartphone sales in the first half of 2025.
High-end consumers are always attracted by advanced improvements, and smartphone brands are positioning GenAI as the next important difference in this segment. As the difference in hardware narrows, consumer choice will increasingly depend on the AI ecosystem.
