Each of the world’s eight leading smartphone OEMs had an active installed base exceeding 200 million devices in 2025 and nearly one in four active smartphones is an Apple iPhone.
Global installed base of active smartphones grew 2% in 2025, driven by replacement cycles for new devices increasing to nearly four years and a growing share of second-life devices in use, according to Counterpoint Research’s Smartphone Installed Base Tracker. Active smartphone installed base is a key measure of long-term competitive strength in mature markets. Unlike shipments, active installed base captures device longevity, user retention and ecosystem loyalty, representing the cumulative impact of years of sales combined with extended replacement cycles.
Commenting on the market trends, Research Director Tarun Pathak said in a statement, “Each of the eight leading smartphone OEMs had an active installed base exceeding 200 million devices in 2025, together accounting for over 80% of the global active installed base. Only Apple and Samsung have surpassed the one-billion active devices milestone, showing their ability to keep users engaged over time.”
Global Active Smartphone Installed Base by Brand Share, 2025
Notes: OPPO includes OnePlus. Transsion includes TECNO, itel and Infinix
Pathak added, “Within the 200 million+ active installed base club, three clear segments emerge. The first is the 1 billion+ club, led by Apple and Samsung. They reached this scale through premium positioning and strong ecosystems that drive long-term user loyalty. The second segment includes Xiaomi, OPPO and vivo. These brands built large installed bases by targeting the mid- and mid-to-high segments with competitive portfolios. They are also steadily strengthening their ecosystems. The third segment is Transsion Group. It has grown through affordable devices tailored to price-sensitive markets like the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Southeast Asia. HONOR is the latest entrant to the 200 million+ club, while Motorola and realme are close to reaching this milestone.”
Commenting on brand performance, Senior Analyst Karn Chauhan said in a statement, “Apple leads the global active installed base, with about one in four active smartphones being an iPhone. This is driven by strong user loyalty, a deep iOS ecosystem and tightly integrated services. In 2025, Apple added more net new smartphone devices than the next seven leading OEMs combined. This highlights its ability to attract and retain users in a mature market. Samsung ranks second with around one-fifth of the global active installed base. 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.”
Chauhan added, “Together, Apple and Samsung held 44% of the global active installed base in 2025. This advantage comes from longer replacement cycles as consumers keep devices longer due to incremental hardware innovations. Their premium smartphones benefit from durable builds, extended software support, strong resale values, deeply integrated ecosystems and powerful global brand loyalty. These factors extend active device lifespans, encourage multi-owner usage and further widen their lead in user retention.”
Smartphone OEMs need to focus on long-term user retention over shipment volumes to grow their installed base. Premium phones are key as users hold these devices longer. Brands can expand their presence by delivering durable, feature-rich devices with advanced displays, larger batteries and high-end cameras. These encourage longer ownership and repeat purchases.
However, the premium segment remains challenging. In 2025, six OEMs outside Apple and Samsung held only a single-digit sales share in the premium segment priced above $600 wholesale. This highlights the difficulty of competing in this space. Further, while users are gradually moving to higher price bands, ongoing memory shortages are raising component costs and limiting the availability of higher-specification models. This could delay upgrades, extend replacement cycles and slow the premiumization trend.
In the AI era, differentiation is shifting to software and ecosystem layers. On-device AI, camera intelligence, productivity features and seamless cross-device integration are becoming key value drivers. These help build loyalty and increase usage. Growing the active installed base and extending device lifespans strengthen software revenue potential, turning each smartphone into a long-term monetization platform. Apple remains the only brand consistently generating high-margin revenues from its installed base, with services revenue continuing double-digit growth.
Longer software support and stronger ecosystem lock-in increase user lifetime value. As hardware growth slows and cost pressures rise, software and services offer OEMs a stable, recurring revenue stream less dependent on replacement cycles.
MacDailyNews Take: And, 4 in 4 active smartphones are either iPhones or iPhone derivatives.
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