Global smartphone production surges to 300 million units in Q2 2025

Global smartphone production reached 300 million units in the second quarter of 2025, marking a 4% increase from the previous quarter and a 4.8% rise compared to the same period last year, according to TrendForce.

The growth was driven by seasonal demand and the recovery of brands such as Oppo and Transsion following inventory adjustments.

Despite ongoing macroeconomic headwinds that continue to weigh on consumer electronics, the approaching peak season and e-commerce promotions are expected to support sequential growth throughout the second half of the year.

TrendForce noted that China’s smartphone subsidy program in the first quarter provided a short-term boost to mid- and low-end sales and helped accelerate inventory clearance. However, due to the relatively limited size of the subsidies and the narrow range of eligible products, the overall impact on full-year 2025 sales is expected to remain modest.

In terms of brand performance, the top six vendors collectively maintained around 80% of the global market share. Samsung remained the largest producer, although output declined 5% quarter-on-quarter to 58 million units as momentum for new flagship models eased.

Apple ranked second with 46 million units, down 9% from the previous quarter due to seasonal weakness during model transitions, yet still up 4% year-on-year thanks to the strong early-year performance of the iPhone 16e. To stimulate sales in China, Apple offered deeper discounts than in other regions in May, which, combined with local subsidies, helped the company maintain steady year-on-year performance.

Xiaomi, including its Redmi and POCO brands, produced 42 million units, ranking third. Its growth was supported by expansion into Latin American and African markets, alongside China’s subsidy program. Oppo, including OnePlus and Realme, rebounded strongly after completing inventory adjustments, with production rising 35% quarter-on-quarter to nearly 37 million units, holding fourth place.

Transsion, which encompasses TECNO, Infinix, and itel, focused on emerging markets and saw production recover to over 27 million units, up 33% quarter-on-quarter and 15.7% year-on-year, securing fifth place. Vivo, including its iQOO brand, benefited from overseas growth and China’s subsidy support, raising output 8% quarter-on-quarter to 26 million units and ranking sixth.

Overall, while macroeconomic challenges continue to impact the consumer electronics sector, seasonal demand, subsidy programs, and strategic brand recoveries have helped stabilise and support global smartphone production in 2025.

By Tamilla Hasanova