Global installed base of active smartphones grew by two per cent in 2025, driven by replacement cycles for new devices increasing to nearly four years and a growing share of second-life devices in use, Counterpoint Research’s Smartphone Installed Base Tracker has said.

Active smartphone installed base is a key measure of long-term competitive strength in mature markets. Unlike shipments, active installed base captures device longevity, user retention and ecosystem loyalty, representing the cumulative impact of years of sales combined with extended replacement cycles.

The Guardian checks showed that smartphone penetration in Nigeria is growing rapidly, with estimates placing it around 44 per cent to over 55 per cent between 2024 and 2025, driven by affordable Asian brands like Tecno and Infinix.

Urban areas see 59 per cent penetration, while rural areas are at 26 per cent, with projections suggesting over 140 million users at the close of last year.

MTN Nigeria leads with 55.6 per cent smartphone penetration among its users.

Commenting on the market trends, Counterpoint Research Director, Tarun Pathak, said: “Each of the eight leading smartphone original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) had an active installed base exceeding 200 million devices in 2025, together accounting for over 80 per cent of the global active installed base. Only Apple and Samsung have surpassed the one-billion active devices milestone, showing their ability to keep users engaged over time.”

Pathak added, “Within the 200 million+ active installed base club, three clear segments emerge. The first is the one billion+ club, led by Apple and Samsung. They reached this scale through premium positioning and strong ecosystems that drive long-term user loyalty.

The second segment includes Xiaomi, OPPO and vivo. These brands built large installed bases by targeting the mid- and mid-to-high segments with competitive portfolios. They are also steadily strengthening their ecosystems.

The third segment is Transsion Group. It has grown through affordable devices tailored to price-sensitive markets like the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Southeast Asia. HONOR is the latest entrant to the 200 million+ club, while Motorola and realme are close to reaching this milestone.”

On brand performance, Senior Analyst, Karn Chauhan said, “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. In 2025, Apple added more net new smartphone devices than the next seven leading OEMs combined. This highlights its ability to attract and retain users in a mature market.

Samsung ranks second with around one-fifth of the global active installed base. 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.”

Chauhan added, “Together, Apple and Samsung held 44 per cent of the global active installed base in 2025. This advantage comes from longer replacement cycles as consumers keep devices longer due to incremental hardware innovations.

Their premium smartphones benefit from durable builds, extended software support, strong resale values, deeply integrated ecosystems and powerful global brand loyalty. These factors extend active device lifespans, encourage multi-owner usage and further widen their lead in user retention.”

The study noted that smartphone OEMs need to focus on long-term user retention over shipment volumes to grow their installed base. Premium phones are key as users hold these devices longer. Brands can expand their presence by delivering durable, feature-rich devices with advanced displays, larger batteries and high-end cameras. These encourage longer ownership and repeat purchases.

However, it is informed that the premium segment remains challenging.

According to it, in 2025, six OEMs outside Apple and Samsung held only a single-digit sales share in the premium segment priced above $600 wholesale.

This highlighted the difficulty of competing in this space. Further, while users are gradually moving to higher price bands, ongoing memory shortages are raising component costs and limiting the availability of higher-specification models. This could delay upgrades, extend replacement cycles and slow the premiumization trend.

Counterpoint Tracker observed that in the AI era, differentiation is shifting to software and ecosystem layers. On-device AI, camera intelligence, productivity features and seamless cross-device integration are becoming key value drivers.