Honor, Nothing, and Google Pixel: 2025’s Fastest-Growing Phone Brands
▼ Summary
– The global smartphone market grew by approximately 2% in 2025, but a 7% decline is forecast for 2026 due to industry conditions like a memory shortage.
– Apple and Samsung tied as the largest brands in 2025, each holding a 19% market share and achieving 7% year-over-year growth.
– Honor was a major growth story, achieving the highest growth (+11% YoY) among the large-scale smartphone brands in 2025.
– Nothing and Google Pixel were the fastest-growing brands overall, with 86% and 25% year-over-year growth respectively, but from a much smaller market base than major players.
– These fast-growing brands are preparing new product launches, including Google’s Pixel 10a, Honor’s upcoming foldable, and Nothing’s Phone (4a) lineup.
The global smartphone market experienced modest growth in 2025, setting the stage for a more challenging year ahead. According to a recent industry analysis, the market expanded by approximately two percent overall. This positive movement occurred despite forecasts predicting a significant contraction for 2026, driven by broader economic pressures and component shortages like memory chips. Within this landscape, three particular brands, Honor, Nothing, and Google Pixel, emerged as standout performers in terms of growth velocity, each carving its own path in a highly competitive field.
A detailed market share report illustrates the shifting dynamics among the top players. Apple and Samsung both grew by around 7%, effectively tying for the top position with nineteen percent market share each. Other major manufacturers saw more mixed results: Xiaomi held thirteen percent but declined slightly, while Vivo and Oppo each captured eight percent of the market. The most impressive growth story among the established giants belongs to Honor, which surged by 11% year-over-year to secure a six percent market share. This represents substantial expansion for a brand of its considerable size.
When discussing growth rates, context regarding scale is essential. The technical title of fastest-growing brand often goes to a smaller player, where percentage increases can be dramatically higher. This is precisely the case with Nothing, which achieved a staggering 86% growth in 2025. However, this explosive percentage stems from a much smaller initial shipment volume compared to giants like Honor or Samsung. Similarly, Google’s Pixel lineup enjoyed robust 25% growth, a figure confirmed by other recent analyses, though again from a base that remains smaller than the industry’s top-tier brands.
The momentum for these three brands shows no signs of slowing as they prepare their next major product launches. Google is anticipated to unveil the Pixel 10a in the coming weeks, continuing its push in the value segment. Honor is expected to showcase its latest foldable smartphone technology at the Mobile World Congress in March. Meanwhile, Nothing is on the cusp of announcing its new Phone (4a) series, aiming to build on its remarkable growth trajectory. These upcoming releases will test whether these brands can sustain their impressive expansion in a market bracing for tougher conditions ahead.
(Source: 9to5Google)
