Counterpoint Research reports that Apple grew iPhone shipments by 3% year‑over‑year and captured a record 20% share of global smartphone shipments in Q2 2026, despite a market downturn. Samsung led the market with a 24% share, followed by Apple at 20%, Xiaomi at 12%, OPPO at 11% and Vivo at 8%. Compared with Q2 2025, Samsung gained four points, Apple three, Vivo one, while Xiaomi and OPPO each lost two and one point respectively.

Apple was the only major OEM to avoid price hikes, relying on strong demand for the iPhone 17 series, which remained the top‑shipped model worldwide. However, shipments in China fell year‑over‑year due to softer promotions and limited discounts. Legacy iPhone models also saw weaker demand as component allocation favored current‑generation devices amid memory‑related supply constraints.

Counterpoint forecasts a 14% decline in global smartphone shipments for the full year and expects the memory shortage to persist into 2027. Manufacturers are likely to trim low‑margin models, adjust storage configurations and lean more on refurbished and previous‑generation devices until supply conditions improve.