iPhone gains market share as global smartphone shipments fall

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 16:32 · Archive

Apple's smartphone market share reached a record 22% in Q3 2026, despite overall global shipments falling 20% year on year.

Apple's market share reached 22% in Q3 2026, a third-quarter record, despite declining iPhone shipments, according to Counterpoint Research. Samsung remained the largest manufacturer at 23% share. The global smartphone industry shipped 20% fewer devices than the previous year, marking the lowest quarterly total since 2012.

Counterpoint attributed the downturn to chronic shortages and rising prices for memory chips, which have pushed up manufacturing costs. Global smartphone retail prices increased 20% since the start of 2026, with no immediate sign of improvement. Premium devices proved more resilient than budget alternatives.

Apple's lower shipment volume reflected its launch strategy. Without a standard iPhone 18 model, Apple supplied fewer devices to retail channels than during the previous year's iPhone 17 launch. However, the iPhone 18 Pro models performed better than the previous Pro generation, with particularly strong sales in China and India. Separately, IDC reported that Apple's shipments in China declined just 4.3%, compared with a 15.4% contraction for the country overall, placing Apple second behind Huawei at 17.8% share.

Counterpoint noted that rising prices and supply constraints are changing consumer behaviour. People are holding onto existing phones longer and increasingly considering refurbished devices, whilst manufacturers adjust strategies to protect profitability.

How it is being reported

• Apple's iPhone market share rose despite a downturn in smartphone shipmentsSamsung and Apple had decent quarters, while Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo had a terrible Q3.Engadget · 13 Oct, 16:15
• iPhone Takes Bigger Slice of a Shrinking Smartphone MarketApple's share of worldwide smartphone shipments rose to a third-quarter record of 22% in the third quarter of 2026, despite a decline in its own iPhone shipments, according to preliminary figures from Counterpoint Research. Apple finished the quarter just behind Samsung, which accounted for 23% of shipments. Across the industry, manufacturers shipped 20% fewer smartphones than a year earlier, taking the July-to-September total to its lowest level since 2012. Apple's launch plan was a significant factor in its lower shipment volume this year. With no standard iPhone 18 arriving alongside the…MacRumors · 13 Oct, 11:32

In this story: Apple · Samsung · Counterpoint Research · China · IDC · Huawei

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