Updated
Updated · 9to5Mac · Apr 29
Apple leads 2025 satellite smartphone shipments with 71.6 percent market share
Updated
Updated · 9to5Mac · Apr 29

Apple leads 2025 satellite smartphone shipments with 71.6 percent market share

7 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · Apr 29
  • Counterpoint Research reports Apple shipped 71.6% of satellite-enabled smartphones in 2025, followed by Samsung at 15.9% and Huawei at 6.1%.
  • The market is split between proprietary satellite systems and emerging 3GPP NTN standards, with Qualcomm, MediaTek, and others advancing chipset integration. Telecom partnerships, such as T-Mobile with SpaceX, are accelerating adoption in North America.
  • Mass adoption is limited by current use cases and premium pricing, but global shipments with satellite connectivity are projected to reach 46% by 2030 as broader use cases and mid-tier devices emerge.
Why is North America leading satellite-to-phone adoption while Europe and China appear to be holding back?
As Amazon finalizes its Globalstar deal, can anyone truly challenge Starlink's dominance in the direct-to-device race?
Will open standards prevail, or is the future of satellite connectivity a few 'walled gardens' controlled by tech giants?
Beyond SOS, what 'killer app' could convince billions to demand satellite connectivity on their phones?
Is the forecast for half of all smartphones having satellite capability by 2030 realistic, or just industry hype?
Can new chipsets truly solve the latency and power issues that have long plagued satellite phones?