With well over a billion iPhones in use, Apple beats all rivals in the size of its active installed base. Roughly one in four active smartphones worldwide is an iPhone, according to new research.
This didn’t happen by accident — Apple actively supports older iPhone models for a good reason: they’re an important source of revenue.
Why Apple actively supports legacy iPhones
Keeping older iPhone models fully functional is critical for Apple because those devices continue to generate revenue long after the initial sale. Even when an iPhone is several years old, it remains tightly connected to Apple’s services ecosystem, bringing in revenue from the App Store, iCloud, Apple Music, repairs and more.
That’s why every iPhone buyer can count on at least five years of iOS upgrades — and sometimes much much longer — as well as five years or more of repairs from authorized service providers. Commitment like that clearly pays off.
“Apple leads the global active installed base, with about one in four active smartphones being an iPhone. This is driven by strong user loyalty, a deep iOS ecosystem and tightly integrated services,” said Karn Chauhan, an analyst who contributed to Counterpoint Research’s latest Smartphone Installed Base Tracker.
“In 2025, Apple added more net new smartphone devices than the next seven leading OEMs combined,” noted Chauhan. “This highlights its ability to attract and retain users in a mature market.
While keeping legacy iPhone units going for years and years contributes strongly to keeping Apple on top, it’s also the top seller of new handsets. It led the world in 2025.
Only Samsung even comes close
Apple maintains the largest active installed base of any manufacturer by such a healthy margin that only Samsung can give it solid competition.
“Samsung ranks second with around one-fifth of the global active installed base,” said Counterpoint’s Chauhan. “This is supported by its long-standing market presence, a broad portfolio spanning entry-level to premium segments, and extensive geographic reach across key regions.”
Xiaomi comes in third with about 12% of the active installed base. Oppo and Vivo make up about 8% and 7% respectively.
“Only Apple and Samsung have surpassed the one-billion active devices milestone, showing their ability to keep users engaged over time,” said Tarun Pathak, a research director with Counterpoint.
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Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
