In August 2025, the resurgence of smartphone sales continued, with another 12% year-over-year increase. This surge followed the double-digit growth observed in the earlier months of summer 2025. Notably, MSRP-based revenues experienced an even more rapid pace, driven by a 17% increase in dollar sales from August 2024.
This trend has been consistent throughout the year. Consumers, particularly those on postpaid accounts, have been enticed to replace their aging smartphones with promotions that require trade-in of their aged smartphones and sign-up for premium rate plans, if not already in place. Conversely, we have witnessed a resistance from the majority of legacy plan holders, who are challenged by the inflationary environment that pushes the prices of necessities upward. Consequently, these consumers are reluctant to migrate to premium rate plans and seek affordable alternatives such as cable MVNO or prepaid offerings. As a result, they either retain their used phones with their new carriers or acquire mid- or low-end devices, as they are not eligible for subsidies. This frugal behavior perfectly accounts for the unprecedented growth in Motorola’s volume (up 43%) from last August.
Despite this, market leader Apple experienced a 14% year-over-year increase in volume in August 2025. This surge was driven by the purchase of the iPhone 16 by many consumers, who were concerned about a potential rise in new iPhone prices due to possible tariffs. Samsung’s smartphone volumes remained stagnant during the month, but its MSRP-based dollar sales experienced a notable increase due to the high demand for its new foldable models, particularly the new Galaxy Z Fold 7.
