Global smartphone shipments rise in third-quarter on AI-driven upgrades

-Global smartphone shipments grew 2.6% in the third quarter this year, fueled by strong consumer demand for premium and AI-enabled devices, according to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation on Monday. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Demand for smartphones has been resilient despite economic uncertainty and tariff challenges, boosted by premium features, favorable pricing models and promotional trade-in deals that make the upgrading decision a "no-brainer" for most customers. KEY QUOTE "The smartphone industry continues its upward trajectory, posting solid growth – a remarkable achievement given persistent economic uncertainty and tumultuous tariff dynamics," said Nabila Popal, senior research director for Worldwide Client Devices, IDC. "Demand for Apple's new iPhone 17 lineup was robust, with pre-orders surpassing those of the previous generation. At the same time, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 outperformed all earlier foldable models, creating renewed momentum for the foldables segment," said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president, Client Devices, IDC. BY THE NUMBERS Third-quarter shipments rose to 322.7 million units, with Apple delivering its best results ever in a three-month period ended September and Samsung achieving its strongest September-quarter growth on record, IDC said. Samsung maintained its top spot with 61.4 million units shipped in the quarter, while Apple saw nearly 3% growth in shipments with 58.6 million. WHAT'S NEXT IDC said it maintains a positive outlook for the rest of 2025, projecting strong year-end sales driven by aggressive promotions, expanding AI capabilities and ongoing device innovation. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas)

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