Industry research shows global smartphone shipments decline in the second quarter of 2026, while Samsung regains or retains the leading position. NDTV, citing Omdia, reports that worldwide shipments fall by 4% in Q2 2026, affected by disruptions from an ongoing memory and storage components shortage. Omdia also says component scarcity contributes to higher RAM and storage prices. In that period, Samsung’s market share rises by 2 percentage points to 22%, while Apple’s share increases by 4 percentage points to 20%, leaving Samsung first and Apple second. Other handset makers, including Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo, see market-share declines.
The Korea Times, citing Counterpoint Research data, reports Samsung regains top spot in April–June with a 24% share, with Apple second at 20%. Counterpoint attributes Samsung’s relative strength to robust Galaxy S26 series sales, comparatively modest price increases in markets such as India and the Middle East, and aggressive promotional activity. Counterpoint also describes a sharper contraction in the overall market, estimating shipments drop 11% year-on-year—the weakest second quarter since 2013—linked to the same memory chip supply shortage.
