This was revealed in a new report from Counterpoint Research, as Apple led international brands with a 21% increase, while HONOR recorded an 83% peak, supported by strong inventory and early-year growth.

This shows that Chinese manufacturers still led the MEA market, with Samsung and Transsion holding large market shares through high volume shipments and strategic stock management.

The growth in Q4 was strongest at both the entry and premium ends of the market, with devices priced between $100 and $249 rising 28% year-on-year. This was driven by feature phone migration in Africa.

Phones above $700 jumped 46%, helped by consumer financing and trade-in programmes. High 5G adoption also contributed, with shipments of 5G devices surging 22% as operators expanded coverage in emerging markets.

Samsung posted 53% year-on-year growth, maintaining volume leadership over Transsion by front-loading lower-cost inventory ahead of rising market prices.

Xiaomi and Transsion saw declines of 14% and 4% respectively, as expensive components and global memory shortages hit production. HONOR’s strong growth came from leveraging existing stock and early-year demand, rather than market expansion alone.

The report noted that Q4 2025 may be the final growth quarter for the entry segment. The market is reaching the limits of low-cost component stocks, and memory price hikes are expected to slow shipments in 2026.

However, the premium segment is healthy, underpinned by financing options, trade-in programmes, and a strong appetite for high-end devices.

Strong 5G adoption is pushing premiumisation in both established and emerging markets, including Jordan, Iraq, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, and Sierra Leone.

While geopolitical challenges fluctuated through the year, the market stayed resilient thanks to steady oil prices, consistent purchasing power, and demand for modern technology.

This increase came as leading brands, including Apple, Samsung, and Motorola, accelerated their imports to dodge tariff threats that could have disrupted pricing and demand.

Apple alone shipped $2 billion worth of iPhones from India in March, leveraging its production partners, Foxconn and Tata Electronics. 

This was a historic record for the company and stressed a bigger shift in global supply chain strategies. I find this development unsurprising. 

In recent years, the U.S.-China trade tension has triggered a wave of recalibrations. Tech giants are now leaning heavily into India and Vietnam, seeking more stability and new manufacturing hubs.

The U.S. had pointed to new tariffs on electronic imports in early April, but the Biden administration issued a temporary 90-day suspension. That pause gave companies like Apple some breathing room, but not enough to stall their contingency plans.

“The increase in smartphone shipments in March and early April will help insulate Apple from potential immediate pricing impacts in the U.S. through mid-to-late summer,” said senior research analyst Gerrit Schneemann. 

He added, “Should the tariff situation remain unresolved with China by the time the iPhone 17 ships, we expect India to become the primary provider for U.S.-bound iPhone 17 devices.”

Apple’s sales to distributors and retailers rose by 42% in March. Samsung posted a 4% increase in sell-in, while Motorola, owned by Lenovo, nearly tripled its exports from India. 

The result was that India’s share of U.S. smartphone imports jumped from 16% in the first quarter of 2024 to 26% this year.

This is a global reset in motion and by the June quarter, Apple expects most of the iPhones sold in the U.S. to be sourced from India. 

The strategy is about long-term independence from China’s unpredictable regulatory and political environment.