Overview
- Omdia reported China’s smartphone shipments reached 69.8 million in Q1 2026, down 1% year over year as rising memory costs pushed up device prices.
- Huawei led with 13.9 million units and a 20% share, Apple followed at 13.1 million and 19%, and Samsung did not place in China’s top five.
- Omdia said Xiaomi, Honor, Oppo, and Vivo raised prices on select models by 10% to 30%, which cooled buyer interest.
- IDC said worldwide smartphone shipments fell 4.1% in Q1 2026 because a memory crunch limited supply and the war in Iran increased shipping and parts costs.
- Omdia now projects China’s smartphone market could contract about 10% in 2026 if memory prices stay elevated.