Omdia’s latest analysis shows the Latin American (LATAM) smartphone market grew 3% year over year in the first quarter of 2026 to 34.8 million units. And it was good news for Apple, which saw increased iPhone sales.
Samsung led LATAM smartphone sales, shipping 12.9 million units (+9% year-over-year) and lifting share to 37%, its highest quarterly level since the first quarter of 2023. Xiaomi held second, marking a sixth consecutive quarter of growth with 6.0 million units and 17% share, driven by double‑digit gains in Central America and Peru.
Motorola ranked third, contracting 5% year-over-year to 4.9 million units and 14% share, largely reflecting a 37% drop in shipments of US$100–US$200 devices. HONOR consolidated in fourth with 30% year-over-year growth to 3.4 million units and a 10% share, propelled by its Play 10 in the entry segment (below US$100), which approached half a million units sold for the first time.
Apple completed the top five with a 31% year-over-year increase, supported by an exceptional performance in Mexico (+80% year-over-year) and robust reception of the iPhone 17 series.
Apple now has 5% of the LATAM smartphone market. It trails Samsung (37% market share), Xiaomi (17% market share), Motorola (14% market share), and HONOR (10% market share).
Omdia says the smartphone growth in LATAM was underpinned by proactive inventory accumulation by sales channels, portfolio simplification by manufacturers with a tilt toward lower storage configurations, and delayed price pass‑through of rising DRAM and NAND costs. Premium demand (above US$500) remained resilient, while value and entry tiers faced tighter affordability, says the research group.
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