Around 36 million smartphones were sold in Mexico in 2025, up 7% from the previous year. These data are provided by The Competitive Intelligence Unit (CIU), an independent Mexican analytical and consulting company specializing in telecommunications market research. This indicator reflects not just quantitative growth, but a qualitative change in the structure of the market, where traditional sales channels are giving way to digital points of purchase.
Just a few years ago, buying a smartphone in Mexico meant going through a mobile operator and signing up for a data plan, but by 2025 this model has weakened noticeably. If in 2022 operators controlled about 75% of the mobile device sales market, now their share has decreased to 59% of equipment revenue, while alternative channels — retail chains, specialty stores and online platforms — increased their share to 41%. Over three years, the change was more than 16%, which for such a large market is a significant structural shift.
Transformation is directly related to changes in consumer behavior. The modern buyer in Mexico is no longer tied to contracts and is increasingly choosing a device regardless of the operator, focusing on price, characteristics, installment criteria and delivery speed. As a result, sales have become multi-channel: smartphones are purchased through marketplaces, offline retail, branded stores and directly via the Internet. This has increased competition, and now it is not only price that matters, but also logistics, product availability and financing rates.
E-commerce plays a special role in this process. According to the Mexican Online Sales Association (AMVO), the country's total online retail volume reached 941 billion pesos in 2025, an increase of 19.2% year over year. This growth is directly driving sales of electronics, including smartphones, as online platforms offer wider inventory, aggressive discounts and flexible payment options. However, the digital sales market is highly concentrated: it is estimated that more than 85% of online transactions occur through just 2 marketplaces, Amazon and Mercado Libre, which means that almost 9 out of 10 purchases are made through these two platforms. But the market's high concentration has raised concerns among regulators, including the National Economic Competition Commission, which is already highlighting potential barriers to other local sellers.
At the same time, the role of consumer lending is increasing. Large retailers such as Coppel report that up to 75% of appliance purchases are made on installment plans.
Average smartphone spending in Mexico is growing faster than sales. According to CIU, the average price of a device reached P5,009 in 2025, increasing at an average annual rate of 10.2%. The market is growing not only due to an increase in the number of devices sold, but also due to the rise in price of the average bill. This is due to the steady transition of users to mid- and high-end models, where camera quality, performance, autonomy and support for technologies like 5G, and in addition to technologies based on artificial intelligence, are key factors.
But the market remains heterogeneous. In Latin America, including Mexico, a significant share of sales continue to be low-cost devices priced below $250, according to Counterpoint Research. This suggests that the state is in a transitional stage: on the one hand, the demand for more expensive devices is growing, on the other — high sensitivity to price remains.
Sales of 36 million smartphones in 2025 — This is not just another indicator of market growth. The Mexican mobile device market is changing rapidly: sales channels are changing, the role of lending is growing, the influence of e-commerce is increasing, and the consumer is becoming more demanding. The struggle for the buyer moves from the plane of tariffs to the plane of service, price, and convenience.