Samsung's lead in the smartphone market of key regions tends to ebb and flow, as it faces rising competition from Chinese manufacturers, but the company manages to find its way back to the top spot over and over again.

A similar story played out in Q1 2025 for Samsung in South East Asia's smartphone market. It retook the top spot after shipping 4.3 million units and taking a 19% market share.

The overall smartphone market declined by 3% to 22.8 million shipments this past quarter. This was actually the first time that the market contracted after posting five straight quarters of annual growth.

Analysts point at inflationary pressures as the cause of weakened consumer demand, particularly in the low and mid-range segments. Average selling prices also saw a 5% year-over-year increase and have now reached the highest levels since 2023.

Xiaomi sits behind Samsung in second place with 4 million units shipped and a 17% market share. It was the only vendor on the list to increase its shipments in the first quarter compared to the same period last year. Xiaomi's market share is now at its highest ranking since Q2 2019, representing a continued threat to Samsung.

Samsung's focus on providing more value with its affordable devices has paid off. Its 5G-enabled Galaxy A series saw 47% growth in shipments year-over-year, a commendable feat, considering that there's intense competition from the Chinese rivals in this particular segment of the market.