Latin America’s smartphone market has delivered strong momentum in 2025, with shipments rising 12 percent year over year in the fourth quarter and 3 percent for the full year, reaching a record 140.5 million units, according to new research from Omdia.
The strong finish to the year pushed quarterly shipments past 37 million units for the first time, despite economic uncertainty and rising component cost pressures.
Samsung retains leadership as competition intensifies
Samsung maintained its leadership position in Latin America’s smartphone market, growing 21 percent year over year in the fourth quarter and 9 percent for the full year to reach 46.9 million units. Growth was fueled by a 32 percent surge in demand for its affordable A0x and A1x smartphone models.
Xiaomi climbed to second place with 24.6 million shipments, up 8 percent year over year, driven by strong entry-level demand led by the Redmi A5 4G and expansion into the upper mid-range segment with devices such as the Poco X7 Pro.
Motorola ranked third despite a 5 percent annual decline to 21.6 million units, though the company ended a six-quarter shipment decline in the fourth quarter.
HONOR became the fastest-growing vendor in the region, rising 48 percent in 2025 and 64 percent in the fourth quarter to reach a record 11.8 million units.
TRANSSION completed the top five but experienced a challenging year, with shipments declining 30 percent to 8.9 million units.
Economic uncertainty shaped demand patterns
Omdia said the market showed an unusual pattern during 2025. The year began with concerns over inventory saturation following aggressive value-for-money launches in 2024. Economic uncertainty and tariff concerns weakened demand in the first half of the year.
Momentum returned in the second half as consumer confidence improved and seasonal demand strengthened. Rising memory prices and tight DRAM supply may have also encouraged vendors to accelerate shipments before potential cost increases in 2026.
Key regional markets drive growth
Shipment growth varied significantly across Latin America:
Brazil, Central America and Ecuador reached record shipment levels, supported by strong vendor investment and new market entrants.
Argentina, Chile and Colombia saw a market rebound driven by improved socioeconomic conditions.
Mexico, the region’s second-largest market, declined 4 percent in 2025 despite a strong fourth quarter rebound of 27 percent.
New entrants such as OPPO, vivo and ZTE expanded competition across key markets, intensifying pressure on established brands.
2026 outlook: rising costs and tougher competition
Looking ahead, Omdia expects a more challenging environment in 2026 due to rising component costs, especially memory, and more cautious channel behavior following early-2025 overstock.
Smartphone vendors are expected to focus on disciplined inventory management, stronger supply chain execution and tighter product portfolios. Competition in the mid-to-high segment will intensify, with differentiation centered on camera performance, battery life, display quality, 5G capabilities and fast charging at accessible price points. Manufacturers that combine supply chain stability, operational efficiency and strong channel partnerships are expected to be best positioned for sustainable growth in the region.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH