Android smartphones to grow 40 pc faster than iOS this year: Report

New Delhi(The Uttam Hindu): Android smartphones are expected to grow 40 per cent faster than iOS this year, with 2.5 per cent year-on-year growth, according to a new report. Smartphone shipments are forecast to grow 2.3 per cent (year-over-year) globally in 2025 to 1.26 billion units, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) ‘Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker’.

The 2.3 per cent increase will represent the second successive year of improvement after a 6.1 per cent growth in 2024. While iOS will decline 1.9 per cent in China this year due to ongoing challenges, globally it is forecast to increase 1.8 per cent thanks to strong growth in the U.S., Apple’s largest market, coupled with rapid growth of 18 per cent and 9 per cent YoY in emerging markets like India and Indonesia, said Nabila Popal, senior research director with IDC.

The ongoing rollout of Apple Intelligence and the recently launched mid-priced iPhone 16E is also expected to fuel demand and keep average selling prices (ASPs) elevated for Apple and will help it capture 45 per cent value share in 2025 despite only 19 per cent of shipments, Popal added. The U.S. smartphone market is expected to grow 3.3 per cent in 2025, even with the new 10 per cent tariffs imposed on goods from China, including smartphones.

“An aging installed base ready for renewal will positively impact shipments for the year. Although the new tariffs will slightly increase the average selling prices, most consumers in the U.S. purchase smartphones through installment plans, often combined with trade-ins, via the telecom channel,” explained Anthony Scarsella, research director with IDC. As a result, any increase to average selling price (ASP) in the US is less likely to impact purchase decisions for most consumers. Global smartphone ASP is forecast to grow slightly to $434 in 2025 despite the boost of low-end Androids this year, thanks to the simultaneous premiumisation on the high end which continues in full swing, said the report.