HONOR becomes the fastest-growing major smartphone brand globally in 2025

HONOR is having a strong year. According to new market data, the brand is now the fastest-growing major smartphone company in the world in 2025, outpacing every other vendor in the global top ten. However, this growth isn’t coming from one market or one product but seems to be tied to a new shift in how Honor is positioning itself outside China.

HONOR’s Global Growth in 2025

Market research firm Omdia recently reported that HONOR recorded an 11 percent year-over-year increase in global smartphone shipments. That puts it at number one in growth rate among the world’s top ten smartphone brands.

Although it's worth noting that Honor’s rise is not about total volume leadership. As brands like Apple and Samsung still ship more units overall. But in terms of how fast shipments are growing, Honor appears to be ahead of everyone else in 2025.

The ‘Magic’ element?

As i mentioned earlier, their growth is largely coming from international markets, not China. Honor has been expanding more aggressively in regions where margins are higher and competition is different from its home market. But unlike other Chinese smartphone brands, they are heavily leaning into premium and upper-mid-range devices. Data shows that HONOR is growing fastest in two specific categories outside China. One is smartphones priced above $300, which includes upper-mid-range and premium devices. The other is tablets priced between $300 and $600. 

Honor’s future plan

HONOR has confirmed multiple announcements for Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, scheduled for March. One of them is the HONOR Robot Phone, which the company describes as its first major step into AI-driven smartphones. Its details are still limited, but this device is expected to focus heavily on on-device AI features.

• Meanwhile, check out our review of the Realme 16 Pro+