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Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
Alyse Stanley

The Rise of Samsung: Why Apple Is Losing Ground in the Smartphone War

IPhone 16 Pro Max vs Galaxy S25 Ultra.

The rising demand for the best foldable phones is great for Samsung and not so great for Apple. Now, a new report shows Samsung is eating into Apple's market lead in the U.S. after the iPhone maker saw a rare double-digit dip last quarter. In the second quarter of 2025, Apple’s market share in the U.S. fell from 56% to 49%, while Samsung’s share surged from 23% to 31%, according to data from Canalys.

That means Samsung managed to close the market share gap between it and Apple from 33% a year ago to 18% last quarter. Much of Samsung's second-quarter improvement hinged on its more affordable Galaxy A series, like the Galaxy A36. That just goes to show that the race for the best cheap phones is heating up alongside rising prices. Samsung's premium offerings, particularly the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 that debuted last month, have also gained plenty of traction on social media for their surprising durability and value.

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