Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Apple Gains U.S. Phone Share as Market Shrinks in Q1 2026

A delayed Galaxy S26 launch gave Apple room in the premium tier.

Overview

  • Counterpoint says U.S. iPhone sales rose 1.3% year over year as the market fell 5.7% and Android units dropped 14.4%.
  • Apple's volume share grew about four points across AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, reaching 77% of sales at Verizon.
  • With the premium segment concentrated among Apple, Samsung, Google and Motorola, Samsung’s mid-March rollout left a gap that steered more upgrades to iPhone 17.
  • Stable iPhone 17e pricing with a higher 256GB base storage, along with stronger carrier promotions, helped Apple pull more buyers into iOS.
  • Rising memory costs weakened low-cost phones and squeezed smaller brands, letting Samsung and Motorola gain prepaid share at Cricket and Metro.