Overview
- Counterpoint’s Q2 2026 data, published in late August, lists the iPhone 17 as the world’s best‑selling smartphone with a 6% share of global unit sales.
- Apple and Samsung together occupied all ten places on the Q2 top‑10 list and accounted for 26% of global unit sales, a two percentage‑point increase year‑on‑year.
- Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra was the best‑selling Android phone for the quarter after a later launch pushed much of its sales into Q2, with its privacy display and AI features cited as differentiators.
- The global smartphone market contracted about 11% year‑on‑year in Q2 2026 as RAM and memory shortages and higher parts costs led makers to concentrate resources on flagships and high‑volume SKUs and to lean on trade‑ins, promotions and financing.
- The shift favors buyers of premium models and value devices with extended support but means higher prices and longer replacement cycles for many consumers, and analysts warn supply and demand pressures could keep volumes weak in coming quarters.