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Apple Did Better Than Expected. Still No AI In iPhone. Rivalry With Samsung Continues.
TrendForce, which tracks global smartphone shipments and production, reports that Samsung’s production matched Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) last year. Total global smartphones reached 1.25 billion across the industry.
Apple and Samsung tied with production numbers of 239.8 million. For the year, Apple’s number rose 9% and Samsung’s by 11%. Apple’s newest product was the primary reason it did so well. “In 2025, the iPhone 17 series benefited from well-positioned retail pricing to deliver strong market performance.” Apple made a phenomenal run at the end of the year. In the fourth quarter, production rose 54% to 87 million units.
Chinese manufacturers have done well in recent years because it is the world’s largest smartphone market, with about 1 billion wireless subscribers. However, the run mostly ended last year. Market leader Xiaomi saw a 7% drop to 169.8 million. Vivo’s sales dropped 17% to 102 million. Honor was the exception with an increase of 16% to 70.5 million
Apple’s success came as a surprise to some people. It did not launch a much-anticipated AI version of its iOS software. It pushed that into 2026. Soon, its upgraded Siri AI product will be released, powered by Google’s Gemini. CNBC reported that “Apple has picked Google’s Gemini to run AI-powered Siri coming this year.”
Apple’s iPhone 17 sales drove an extremely strong quarter. In its most recent report, iPhone revene reached $85.3 billion, up from $69.1 billion in the same period a year ago. Total revenue was $143.6 billion, so iPhone sales were 59% of total revenue.
If Apple did so well without an AI product, imagine how well it will do with one?
