Global Smartphone Shipments Fall 20% in the Third Quarter to Their Lowest for the Period Since 2012 as Memory-Chip Costs Surge
Global smartphone shipments fell 20 percent year on year in the third quarter of 2026, their lowest level for the period since 2012, according to preliminary estimates released by Counterpoint Research on Monday, October 12.
Counterpoint said soaring memory-chip costs and supply shortages pressured manufacturers during the quarter. As artificial-intelligence infrastructure projects cornered memory supplies, production costs rose, prompting manufacturers to raise retail prices, cut shipments and prioritize profitability over volumes. Shilpi Jain, a senior analyst at Counterpoint, said consumers are holding on to their devices longer than estimated, increasingly considering refurbished devices and prioritizing higher-value devices.
Samsung retained the top position with a 23 percent market share; its shipments fell 3 percent from a year earlier, helped, Counterpoint said, by demand for its Galaxy Z Fold8 series and stable component supplies for its mid-range devices. Apple's market share reached 22 percent, crossing 20 percent for the first time in a third quarter, even though its shipments also declined year on year. Counterpoint said the absence of a base iPhone 18 model resulted in a smaller launch-month channel fill than the full iPhone 17 lineup a year earlier.
Chinese brands fell more sharply: OPPO and vivo each recorded shipment declines of more than 20 percent, while Xiaomi's shipments fell by more than 30 percent, reducing its market share to 10 percent, as the company cut exposure to lower-priced devices and some overseas markets to protect margins, Counterpoint said.
(Source: Reuters; data from Counterpoint Research)
Source: Reuters; data from Counterpoint Research
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 存储芯片（内存条）资料图，Victorrocha摄，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 3.0
