Global Smartphone Sales Fall to Lowest Level in 14 Years

Despite weak smartphone shipments in the third quarter of 2026, Samsung and Apple remain the market leaders.

Despite weak smartphone shipments in Q3 2026, Samsung and Apple continue to lead the market.

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According to the initial estimate of Counterpoint Research, the global smartphone shipment in the third quarter of 2026 decreased by 20% compared to the same period of the previous year and reached its lowest level since 2012. The lack of memory chips and the increase in their prices have increased the cost of production and led manufacturers to reduce the supply and increase the price of phones.

AI infrastructure projects account for a large portion of memory chip supply capacity. The increase in the price of these parts has also increased the cost of producing smartphones and has forced manufacturers to reduce the supply of their products in order to maintain profitability and focus more on expensive phones in some markets.

Shipley Jane, senior analyst at Counterpoint, says:

"Consumers are using their current phones more and more, are willing to buy refurbished devices, and prefer more expensive models when choosing a new phone."

Despite the overall decline of the market, Samsung and Apple were able to increase their share of the global supply and take more than 40% of the market in total.

Samsung remained in first place with a share of 23%. The demand for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series and the stability of the supply of parts needed for mid-range phones helped the company maintain its position. However, the supply of Samsung phones in the third quarter decreased by 3% compared to last year.

Apple also gained a 22% share of the market and crossed the 20% mark for the first time in the third quarter. Despite the year-over-year decrease in the number of phones released, Apple's performance during this period was strong compared to other manufacturers.

According to Counterpoint, the absence of the basic model of the iPhone 18 caused the volume of phones that entered the sales channels in the month of release to be lower than the set of iPhone 17 models in the same period of the previous year. At the same time, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models had a stronger start in China and India despite the higher price than the previous generation.

Among other major manufacturers, Xiaomi recorded the biggest drop. The company's share of the global market reached 10%, while it was around 14% in the third quarter of 2025. Counterpoint says Xiaomi has reduced its presence in low-cost phones and some foreign markets to protect its margins.

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