Counterpoint Analysis has revealed its newest report on international smartphone shipments for Q1 2026, exhibiting that robust demand for the iPhone 17 helped Apple take the highest spot out there for the primary time in a primary quarter. Listed here are the small print.
‘Ecosystem stickiness’ drives iPhone gross sales amid part crunch
In keeping with the report, Apple’s international smartphone shipments grew 5% yr over yr within the first quarter of 2026, at the same time as the remainder of the market declined, with some distributors seeing drops of as much as 19% over the identical interval.
Right here’s Counterpoint Analysis on Apple’s efficiency:
Apple led the worldwide smartphone marketplace for the primary time for a Q1, reaching 21% market share and 5% YoY progress in Q1 2026. Apple stays essentially the most insulated model towards the reminiscence disaster attributable to its ultra-premium positioning and extremely built-in provide chain. Steady robust demand for the iPhone 17 collection and aggressive trade-in packages, together with ecosystem stickiness, drove total quantity progress regardless of a softer macro atmosphere. The model skilled notably stronger progress in a number of key Asia-Pacific markets, corresponding to China, India and Japan, highlighting strong demand for iPhones and efficient methods in these high-potential markets.
As most frequent 9to5Mac readers will most likely guess, the rationale for such a market-wide drop was the continued scarcity of DRAM and NAND reminiscence. That, mixed with weaker demand in some areas, pushed OEMs to reduce shipments, whereas concurrently forcing them to “cross elevated Payments of Materials (BOM) prices on to the patron,” additional cooling demand.
Apparently, Counterpoint famous that Google and Nothing noticed the largest year-over-year progress at 14% and 25%, respectively. Nevertheless, their volumes remained too small to interrupt into the highest 5, conserving them within the “Others” class.
And talking of the highest 5, with Apple topping the rating for the primary time in a primary quarter with a 21% sell-in cargo share, Samsung got here in second with a 20% share and a 6% year-over-year drop, Xiaomi positioned third with a 12% share and a 19% drop, OPPO adopted with an 11% share and a 4% decline, vivo positioned fifth with an 8% share and a 2% drop, whereas different OEMs mixed for a 28% share and a ten% decline.
As for what’s forward, Counterpoint says the “outlook for 2026 stays weak, because the reminiscence crunch could final till late 2027,” including that “OEMs are anticipated to prioritize worth over quantity, configuration updates, chopping low-margin fashions, and leveraging refurbished gadgets to retain finances customers.”
To learn the complete report, comply with this hyperlink.
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