The Latin American smartphone market reached record volumes in 2025, with the region shipping 140.5 million units and returning to growth despite economic uncertainty. Research from Omdia shows the industry is led by a clear top 10 vendor group that dominates shipments and competition across price segments.
Market growth sets the stage for vendor competition
Latin America smartphone shipments grew 12 percent year over year in Q4 2025 and 3 percent for the full year, pushing the market to its highest quarterly result ever, surpassing 37 million units. Strong late-year demand helped offset earlier economic headwinds and inventory concerns, Omdia report indicated.
Within this environment, the top 10 smartphone brands captured the majority of shipments and shaped the region’s competitive landscape.
Overall 2025 market share rankings show:
Samsung – 33 percent
Xiaomi – 18 percent
Motorola – 15 percent
HONOR – 8 percent
TRANSSION – 6 percent
Apple – 5 percent
OPPO – 4 percent
ZTE – 3 percent
Realme – 3 percent
Vivo – 1 percent
Samsung leads the top 10 vendor ranking
Samsung has remained the clear market leader with 33 percent share and 46.9 million units shipped, growing 9 percent year over year. A 32 percent surge in entry-level A0x and A1x models and strong Q4 momentum helped the company maintain its leadership position.
Xiaomi ranked second with 18 percent share and 24.6 million units shipped, growing 8 percent year over year. The company successfully balanced strong entry-level demand with expansion into the upper mid-range segment.
Motorola held third place with 15 percent share and 21.6 million units shipped, despite a 5 percent annual decline. The company returned to growth in Q4 after six consecutive quarters of falling shipments.
HONOR becomes fastest-growing challenger
HONOR climbed to fourth place with 8 percent share and 11.8 million units, becoming the fastest-growing vendor over the past three years with 48 percent annual growth.
TRANSSION ranked fifth with 6 percent share, shipping 8.9 million units after a challenging year that saw volumes decline 30 percent.
Apple and OPPO strengthen the mid-premium segment
Apple captured 5 percent share, maintaining a stable presence focused on premium devices.
OPPO reached 4 percent share, expanding its footprint in key regional markets.
Samsung and HONOR were the only vendors to sustain quarterly growth since Q1 2024, highlighting their strong regional momentum.
Regional dynamics shape vendor performance
Shipment growth was driven by Brazil, Central America and Ecuador, which all recorded shipment highs in 2025. Brazil saw new entrants such as HONOR, OPPO and vivo intensify competition, while Samsung and Motorola regained share in Central America.
Mexico was the only major market to decline in 2025, falling 4 percent despite a strong Q4 rebound.
Outlook for 2026
Rising memory prices, tighter DRAM supply and cautious channel behavior are expected to create a more challenging environment in 2026. Vendors will need to focus on inventory discipline, supply chain execution and clear product differentiation in areas such as camera performance, battery life, displays, 5G and fast charging.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH