The latest report released by market research organization Counterpoint Research on March 4 shows that in the fourth quarter of 2025, smartphone market shipments in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) increased by 5% year-on-year, maintaining steady growth for the third consecutive quarter. From the perspective of brand competition, Samsung performed particularly well. Its shipments in the quarter increased significantly by 53% year-on-year, and it successfully regained its position as the smartphone sales champion in the Middle East and Africa. This was the second consecutive quarter in which it surpassed Transsion.
As for Transsion, affected by the shortage of memory, the production pace slowed down in the fourth quarter of 2025, and its market share dropped to 15%, a significant drop of 25% compared to the same period last year.
at the same time,Honor achieved a substantial year-on-year growth of 83% in the quarter. Report analysis believes that this is mainly due to a lower base in the same period last year and relatively stable parts inventory, which has maintained a good situation in terms of sales and pricing.
The report also pointed out that the Middle East and Africa are accelerating towards high-end development, and the popularization of 5G mobile phones has become the main driving force. In the fourth quarter of 2025, 5G smartphone shipments in the region increased by 22% year-on-year.
In addition to mature markets that continue to play the main role, 5G network construction and coverage in emerging markets such as Jordan, Iraq, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, and Sierra Leone are also advancing rapidly. Although AI functions are gradually becoming popular locally, their current role in driving mobile phone sales is still relatively limited.
