The global mobile landscape is notoriously unstable, yet it’s surprising to think that leadership in major smartphone markets could shift anytime soon. In South Korea, Samsung continues to reign supreme, dominating sales reports consistently, while in the United States, Apple has long held the top spot—though Samsung is never far behind.

However, recent data from Canalys for Q2 2025 might send shockwaves through Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino. For the first time in recent memory, Samsung trails Apple by just 18 percent in U.S. market share—a narrowing gap that becomes even more alarming when compared to Q2 2024, when Apple led by a comfortable 33 percent margin.

iPhone shipments drop, Galaxy A series drives Samsung’s surge

This shift indicates a significant decline in iPhone deliveries in the U.S. between April and June 2024 and the same period in 2025—specifically, a drop of 1.6 million units. Meanwhile, Samsung has ramped up its shipments by an impressive 2.3 million units during the same timeframe.

What’s more surprising is that Samsung’s growth hasn’t come from its flagship Galaxy S25 lineup launched in February or the ultra-slim Galaxy Edge introduced in late May. Instead, the driving force behind this surge is the mid-tier Galaxy A series.

The rollout of the budget-friendly Galaxy A16 5G at the start of the year, followed by the upgraded Galaxy A36 in March and the more advanced Galaxy A56 earlier this month, has clearly resonated with American consumers. With this momentum, Samsung’s U.S. shipment numbers could see further growth in Q3 2025.

That said, Apple isn’t standing still. If the iPhone 17 series launches as expected by the end of the third quarter—something that now seems inevitable—the tide could shift once again. Meanwhile, Motorola and Google sit in third and fourth place, respectively, both having either introduced compelling new devices or preparing to do so imminently.

From "Made in China" to "Made in India": A manufacturing shift

Overall, the U.S. smartphone market saw only a 1 percent year-on-year growth in Q2 2025 compared to the same period in 2024—minimal, but still positive.

More notably, there’s been a dramatic rise in smartphones shipped to the U.S. that are manufactured in India and Vietnam. Conversely, the volume of devices made in China has sharply declined, a direct consequence of the renewed tariff policies associated with Donald Trump’s trade stance.

Top smartphone brands have responded by making significant—and in some cases, unexpected—changes to their supply chains. Many are also “frontloading” inventory to brace for potential short-term tariff changes. As a result, the modest 1 percent shipment increase may not reflect strong consumer demand, but rather strategic stockpiling in anticipation of economic uncertainty.

In essence, the U.S. consumer market remains under pressure, and while Samsung, Motorola, and Google can celebrate improved shipment figures, these numbers may not fully represent actual sales to end users—highlighting a gap between distribution and real-world adoption.

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