(Credit: Eric Zeman/PCMag)
Strong iPhone 17 sales could help Apple top Samsung as the world's largest smartphone maker, Bloomberg reports, citing Counterpoint Research's projections.
Year-on-year sales for Apple are expected to go up by 10%, compared with 4.6% for Samsung. This would propel Apple to the number one spot globally, with a 19.4% market share. It last topped the list in Q4 2023, thanks to iPhone 15 sales, according to IDC.
According to Counterpoint Research, alongside the positive reception for the iPhone 17 series, customers needing upgrades are a key factor behind the projections.
"Consumers who purchased smartphones during the COVID-19 boom are now entering their upgrade phase," says Counterpoint analyst Yang Wang. "Furthermore, 358 million secondhand iPhones were sold between 2023 and Q2 2025. These users are also likely to upgrade to a new iPhone in the coming years."
Wang also predicts that Apple could hold on to the position until 2029, primarily due to the possible release of a foldable iPhone and the budget iPhone 17e next year.
However, these are all projections. For now, Samsung remained the market leader last quarter at 19% share. That was followed by Apple with 18% and Xiaomi with 14%.
Given Apple's run in the smartphone market, it may also be on track to replace Nvidia as the world's most valuable company. Nvidia's market cap today is at $4.234 trillion, while Apple's is at $4.124 trillion. Much of that financial growth has come under the leadership of CEO Tim Cook, who has been at the helm since 2011 but is reportedly preparing to step down next year. Apple's hardware boss, John Ternus, is the most likely successor.