The fastest-growing premium smartphone brand in the world is Pixel

It has been a long road for Google’s Pixel phones, but after years of finding its stride, it looks like the company’s hardware strategy is starting to pay off in a huge way. According to new data from the analysts at Counterpoint Research, Google Pixel was the fastest-growing premium smartphone brand in the world in the first half of 2025; proving that Google’s unique approach to smartphones is resonating with more and more consumers.

A bit of perspective

The data from the report is staggering. In the first half of 2025, Google Pixel saw an incredible 105% year-over-year growth in shipments, essentially doubling its sales compared to the same period in 2024.

To put that in perspective, the overall premium smartphone market (devices costing $600 or more) grew by a respectable but much smaller 8%. While giants like Apple and Samsung still hold the top spots in market share, no one is growing at anywhere near the explosive rate of Pixel. This impressive growth has now firmly cemented Google’s place in the top five premium smartphone brands globally.

A clear strategy

So what’s behind this massive success? The report attributes the growth to the strong performance of the Pixel 9 series, Google’s expansion into newer markets, and more aggressive marketing efforts.

But the bigger story is the success of Google’s core strategy. Instead of just emphasizing hardware specifications, Google has focused on differentiating the Pixel series by positioning it as an AI-first device with a clean software experience. This focus on smart, helpful features over raw spec wars is clearly building “consumer confidence in Pixel devices,” according to the report.

This new data point aligns perfectly with other positive growth stories we’ve seen for Pixel over the past year, from nabbing the #4 spot in the US market to seeing success with its foldables in Europe. It’s no longer a fluke; it’s a clear and sustained trend. While Google still has a long way to go to catch the market leaders, this incredible growth proves that its vision for the smartphone is a winning one.

VIA: 9to5 Google