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Global Premium Smartphone Sales Hit Record High in H1 2025 as Google Re Enters Top Five: Counterpoint

Global Premium Smartphone Sales Hit Record High in H1 2025 as Google Re-Enters Top Five: Counterpoint

Google secured fifth spot in global premium smartphone sales with 105 percent YoY growth, according to Counterpoint.

Written by Nithya P Nair, Edited by Manas Mitul | Updated: 9 September 2025 19:10 IST

Global Premium Smartphone Sales Hit Record High in H1 2025 as Google Re-Enters Top Five: Counterpoint

Photo Credit: Google

Google stood out as one of the best-performing brands in the premium smartphone segment

Highlights

Sale of premium smartphones grew 8 percent YoY in the first half of 2025
Samsung came in second spot in global premium smartphone market in H1
Xiaomi reported 55 percent YoY growth

Global premium smartphone sales grew eight percent year-on-year (YoY) in the first half of 2025, hitting a record high for the first half of the year, as per Counterpoint Research. Google has re-entered the top five premium smartphone brands globally after five years, with sales doubling year-over-year. This growth was largely fueled by the strong performance of the Pixel 9 series. Apple led the global premium smartphone market with a dominant 62 percent market share, followed by Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi. Google climbed to the fifth spot, securing its first top-five appearance in five years.

Apple Dominates Global Premium Smartphone Sales

As per Counterpoint Research's latest smartphone sales data for July 2025, sales of premium smartphones grew eight percent YoY in the first half of 2025, hitting the highest-ever mark for a first half of a year. Following past trends, Apple retained its top position with three percent YoY growth in shipments. The Cupertino, California-based tech giant took 62 percent share of the premium smartphone market.

Despite Apple retaining the top spot, Google stood out as one of the best-performing brands in the premium smartphone segment in H1 of this year. The tech giant came in the fifth spot, becoming a top-five premium smartphone brand globally after five years with 105 percent YoY growth. This growth was largely fueled by the strong performance of the Pixel 9 series, expansion into new markets, and intensified marketing efforts, Counterpoint said.

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The market rsearch firm noted that Google's strategy of positioning Pixel 9 phones as AI-first devices rather than focusing solely on hardware increased consumer confidence in the Pixel handsets.

Samsung took the second spot in the global premium smartphone market in H1 with seven percent YoY growth driven by the strong adoption of its Galaxy S25 series. Huawei claimed the third position, backed by its consumer base and a strong offline presence in China.

Xiaomi came in fifth position with 55 percent YoY growth. The brand also saw growth in China's premium smartphone segment, driven by its broader premiumisation strategy. Counterpoint noted that the strong reception of the company's premium electric vehicle boosted demand for Xiaomi smartphones.

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According to the firm, premium smartphone sales outpaced the overall market in H1 2025, which grew four percent. This sharp rise reflects a clear “premiumisation” trend globally, with more consumers upgrading to high-end devices for better experiences and improved affordability. Premium phones accounted for over 60 percent of global smartphone revenues, according to the data.

The market research firm stated that India was the fastest-growing premium smartphone market among the top 10, with a 37 percent YoY increase in H1 2025. This growth was fueled by strong Apple sales and enough financing options. In terms of sheer volume, China remains the largest contributor to global premium segment growth.

Google Pixel 9

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Flagship build and design
Excellent display
Great cameras
Good battery life
AI features are fun

Bad
Processor is still not great
Heats up
No longer compact

Read detailed Google Pixel 9 review

Display 6.30-inch

Front Camera 10.5-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 12GB

Storage 256GB

Battery Capacity 4700mAh

OS Android 14

Resolution 1080x2424 pixels

More Google mobiles Google mobiles price in India

Samsung Galaxy S25

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Compact and excellent aesthetics
Top-notch display
AI features loaded
One UI 7 brings nice updates
Decent cameras

Bad
25W fast-charging limit
Expensive (base price)

Read detailed Samsung Galaxy S25 review

Display 6.20-inch

Processor Snapdragon 8 Elite

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 10-megapixel

RAM 12GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Battery Capacity 4000mAh

OS Android 15

Resolution 1080x2340 pixels

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Further reading: Google, Google Pixel 9, Apple, Global Premium Smartphone Sales, Counterpoint, Samsung, Pixel 9 series, Counterpoint Research, Xiaomi

Nithya P Nair

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Nithya P Nair is a journalist with more than five years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in business and technology beats. A foodie at heart, Nithya loves exploring new places (read cuisines) and sneaking in Malayalam movie dialogues to spice up conversations. More