Anthony Scarsella, research director for client devices at IDC, said: "Amid ongoing political challenges, the impact of war and the complexity of tariffs, the 1% growth in the smartphone market is a critical indicator that the market is ready for growth. Q2 was filled with new models, innovative designs and strong integration of artificial intelligence, which drove the 8th consecutive quarter of growth, a growth not seen since 2013."

"Economic uncertainty tends to compress demand at the lower end of the market, where price sensitivity is highest. As a result, low-end Android is witnessing a crunch weighing down overall market growth,” said Nabila Popal, senior research director for Worldwide Client Devices, IDC. “Additionally, lower than expected performance in China also contributed to the flat global growth. China declined in Q2 as subsidies failed to stimulate demand. Although the 618 e-commerce festival was a success in terms of sell out, OEMs and channel partners used the promotions to clear inventory rather than increase shipments. While Apple was the top brand during the promotion period, it saw a 1% drop in China in Q2, offset by strong double-digit growth in emerging markets leading to a 1.5% growth globally in the quarter.”

“Samsung was able to consolidate its market leadership and outperform the overall market achieving strong growth in the quarter driven by the sales of its new Galaxy A36 and A56 products,” said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president, Client Devices, IDC. “These new products introduce AI-enabled features to mid-range devices, which has been effectively used in retail stores to drive sales, as more consumers become curious about AI.”"

Samsung is in first place with 58.0 shipments this quarter and a 7.9% year-on-year increase. Apple is in second place with 46.4 shipments and a 1.5% year-on-year increase. Xiaomi and Vivo are in third and fourth place with 42.5 and 27.1 shipments, respectively. Transsion is in last place with 25.1 shipments, but the manufacturer saw a 1.7% year-on-year increase.