Overview
- IDC’s report Thursday put Q1 2026 smartphone shipments at 289.7 million, down 4.1%, ending the rebound that began in 2023.
- Counterpoint ranked Apple first while IDC placed Samsung on top, a gap researchers trace to how each counts frontloaded shipments versus sell‑through and channel checks.
- Counterpoint on Friday said iPhone shipments in China jumped about 20% with Apple at 19% share as Huawei led with 20% on stable supply and strong demand.
- India logged its weakest quarter in six years with shipments down roughly 3%, as higher memory costs pushed prices up by about ₹1,500 on many models and stretched upgrade cycles.
- Researchers expect elevated DRAM and NAND costs to persist into Q2, keeping prices high, thinning low‑end options, and steering brands toward premium devices where costs are easier to absorb.