Four Counterpoint Research reports published this week reveal drops in smartphone sales and shipments across India, Latin America, Europe, and China, as memory shortages and rising prices continue to impact global demand. Despite the widespread downturn, Apple has managed to buck the trend in several key markets.

In Europe, smartphone shipments dropped 10% year-over-year in the second quarter, reaching a three-year low. However, Apple matched Samsung at 34% of the shipments share each, gaining nine percentage points. Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Honor all lost share, ending the quarter at 15%, 4%, and 3%, respectively.

In China, the market contracted 8.6% year over year during the first 30 weeks of 2026, with declines returning to double digits after the 618 shopping festival. Apple entered its seasonal slowdown in July ahead of the expected launch of its new iPhone lineup, though much demand had already been pulled forward around the 618 festival.

India saw three consecutive weeks of year-over-year declines following July's major online sales events, with overall sales down 14% during weeks 14 through 31. Apple countered this trend with a 15% year-over-year increase, driven by demand for the iPhone 17 series and affordability offers. In Latin America, Apple and Samsung were the only major brands to post growth, up 5% and 6% respectively, with Apple absorbing price hikes while maintaining strong demand for the iPhone 17 Pro Max.