Apple’s iPhone lineup is about to do one thing pretty attention-grabbing this 12 months: Carry your complete smartphone market on its shoulders. Worldwide smartphone shipments, in accordance with new knowledge from IDC, are anticipated to develop by one thing on the order of 1% in 2025 (which is virtually flat), reaching 1.24 billion items total. Clearly, that does not sound like so much, however this is the kicker — based mostly on IDC’s knowledge, smartphone shipments this 12 months would have really declined worldwide had been it not for a pickup in Apple’s iPhone shipments.
The whole market is forecast to finish up in constructive territory this 12 months because of an estimated 3.9% rise in iOS gross sales, a reminder of how a lot significance continues to be hooked up to Apple and its iPhone line even in a tricky international economic system with uneven demand. Apple, for its half, can also be little doubt happy with these numbers, particularly proper now, simply days earlier than the corporate’s annual fall iPhone reveal occasion — with the iPhone 17 launch simply across the nook.
The iPhone impact on the smartphone trade
General, IDC’s forecast presents a relatively blended image for the 12 months. On one hand, the worldwide market is being dragged down by weaker demand in China, the place shipments are anticipated to say no by 1% as authorities subsidies roll away and shoppers maintain again on spending. On the identical time, iPhone shipments stay a brilliant spot, with softness in some elements of the world offset by shoppers’ curiosity in changing their units in markets just like the U.S., Center East, and Africa — this Apple-driven pattern apparently being what’s lifting the smartphone market 1% in 2025 all by itself in an in any other case difficult interval.
For Apple, that is welcome knowledge to see forward of its “Awe Dropping” occasion on September 9, at which era we’ll get our first have a look at the iPhone 17 household of units — with the rumors about them pointing to what simply may be Apple’s slimmest handset but. Rumors point out an ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, for instance, will characteristic up to date design parts like a digicam bar throughout the again panel.
Wanting additional forward, IDC’s new report says smartphone makers are focusing much less on unit progress and extra on worth, because of improvements like foldables and on-device generative AI. However in 2025, it is Apple’s iPhone that is doing the heavy lifting — and reminding us all as soon as once more why the September iPhone occasion stays one in every of if not the most necessary moments on the smartphone calendar.
