Global smartphone shipments fell 11% year-over-year (YoY) in quarter two (Q2) of 2026 reaching the lowest second-quarter levels since 2013 as the DRAM and NAND shortage intensified, acceding to new data from Counterpoint Research.
Samsung reclaimed the global leadership position with a 24% market share, recording the strongest YoY growth among the top five brands, as pricing and competitive dynamics in certain regions worked in its favor.
Apple’s shipments grew 3% YoY during the quarter, while its market share climbed to a record 20%. It was also the only major manufacturer to avoid smartphone price hikes during the quarter. This marks an extended streak of YoY growth for the brand, driven by the continued strength of the iPhone 17 series which remained the top-shipped global model, alongside resilient demand in several key markets.
China remained a relative soft spot, with Apple’s shipments declining YoY despite an early promotional campaign ahead of the 618-shopping festival, as this year’s discounts were less aggressive than the promotions offered during the same period in 2025. Legacy iPhone models also faced softer demand, as component allocation prioritized current-generation devices amid memory-related supply constraints.
According to Counterpoint, the outlook for the rest of 2026 remains challenging.
“The global memory crisis has now overtaken every other factor as the single biggest drag on the smartphone industry. What started as a components issue last year is now a full-blown demand issue,” says Counterpoint Senior Analyst Shilpi Jain. “The entry and mid-tier devices, which account for a majority of the world’s smartphone volumes and are the most exposed to BOM [bill of material] economics, become structurally unfeasible at previous price points. We see manufacturers responded in different ways, some are increasing prices and accepting margin pressure, while others are extending the lifecycle of older-generation models and using promotions to retain budget-conscious buyers, and a few are simply pulling back on launches and production.”
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