Samsung in the second quarter of 2026 24 percent market share reached and took back the global smartphone leadership from Apple. Counterpoint Research estimates worldwide phone shipments compared to the same period last year fell 11 percent explained. Thus, the sector recorded one of its weakest second quarter results since 2013. Problems in the supply of DRAM and NAND memory have rapidly increased the production costs, especially of affordable phones.
However, Samsung has implemented more limited price increases in key markets than many of its competitors. The company supported its sales with periodic campaigns in India and the Middle East. Moreover Galaxy S26 series The incoming demand covered some of the losses experienced in entry and mid-segment models. According to Counterpoint data, Samsung achieved the strongest annual growth among the top five manufacturers.
Apple increased its shipments compared to the second quarter of last year. increased by 3 percent And 20 percent market share reached. The company thus achieved its highest global market share in its second quarter history. On the other hand, Apple stood out as the only brand among major manufacturers that did not increase phone prices. Strong demand for the iPhone 17 series increased the company’s shipments despite the shrinking market.
Apple limited production of older models in order to allocate more parts for new iPhone models. However, the company could not surpass Samsung because it could not reach the sales level it expected in China. Samsung’s wide product range, from entry level to premium class, has enabled it to sell in more markets. The two companies together dominate the global smartphone market 44 percent checked.
Memory crisis hits affordable phones harder
Counterpoint states that the increasing memory demand of artificial intelligence data centers directly affects phone manufacturers. The supply of standard DRAM and NAND has shrunk as memory manufacturers prioritize higher-revenue HBM products. In addition, shipping costs, inflation and weakening consumer spending also dragged down phone shipments. Research company says the problem in memory supply is It could last until 2027 predicts.
Xiaomi, OPPO and vivo suffered double-digit shipment losses in the second quarter under this cost pressure. Xiaomi by reorganizing product options and providing financing support to retailers 12 percent market share protected. OPPO era 11 percentif in vivo with 8 percent market share completed. But narrow profit margins on lower-priced models made it difficult for manufacturers to absorb rising memory expenses.
Separate research from Omdia shows shipments of sub-$400 phones expected to drop in 2026 could drop by more than 22 percent It shows. According to the report, memory components account for the total production cost of the cheapest phones up to 64 percent comes out. For this reason, some brands increase prices, while others reduce hardware features or discontinue production of certain models. The higher margin on premium phones leaves manufacturers more room to cover cost increases.
In fact, as the market contracted, Google and Huawei were among the few manufacturers that managed to increase their shipments. Google, Pixel 10 and Pixel 10a phone shipments on an annual basis with the contribution of models increased by 16 percent. If Huawei Mate 80, Nova 15 and Enjoy 90 It recorded 6 percent growth with the support it received from the series. Despite this, both brands could not enter the top five manufacturers in the global rankings.
Counterpoint Research predicts global smartphone shipments will increase by 2026 13.9 percent decline waiting. The company expects total shipments to be approximately to 1.08 billion units He calculates that he will fall. If this prediction comes true, the phone market will experience one of the steepest declines in its history on an annual basis. The rise in memory costs brings with it price increases, fewer model options and hardware cuts, especially in the entry and mid-range segments.
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