Overview
- IDC said global smartphone shipments fell 4.1% to 289.7 million in Q1 2026, with only Apple and Samsung growing year over year.
- Counterpoint and IDC split on who led the quarter worldwide, with Counterpoint putting Apple first and IDC listing Samsung on top due to different ways of counting shipments and channel stock.
- In China, Counterpoint said Friday that iPhone shipments jumped 20% even as the market fell 4%, with Huawei holding 20% share, Apple at 19%, and Xiaomi down about 35%.
- In India, Counterpoint reported a 3% drop in Q1 shipments, the weakest quarter in six years, and warned of a double‑digit slide in Q2 and a full‑year decline near 10%.
- Rising DRAM and NAND prices pulled toward AI data centers are lifting phone costs, which is pushing budget models higher, thinning margins, and leaving buyers with fewer low‑cost options.