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Globally, smartphone shipments between July and September were the lowest they've been in a third quarter in 14 years. Apple also saw a decline in unit sales – but significantly less than its competitors. The result was a market share the iPhone had never achieved in a quarter before.
The figures come from a report by Counterpoint Research dated October 12. According to the report, global smartphone shipments plummeted by 20 percent in the third quarter compared to the previous year. The market research firm cites the persistent shortage and high cost of memory chips as the main reason, which has been widening the gap between premium and entry-level devices for months. Apple achieved a 22 percent market share during the same period, down from 18 percent a year earlier. This continues a pattern that was already evident in the second quarter, when Apple held a 20 percent market share despite the overall market downturn.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Global smartphone shipments fell by 20 percent in the third quarter of 2026, reaching their lowest level for this period in 14 years.
- Apple achieved a 22 percent market share, thus exceeding the 20 percent mark for the first time in a third quarter.
- Despite this, their own shipments declined, mainly because the regular iPhone 18 will not be released until spring 2027.
- Samsung remains narrowly in the lead with 23 percent, while Xiaomi, OPPO and vivo lose market share.
Five manufacturers, one shrinking market
Counterpoint only reports market share for the third quarter, not absolute unit sales. The report does not specify the total number of devices shipped. The ranking of the five largest manufacturers is as follows:
| Manufacturer | Market share Q3 2026 |
|---|---|
| Samsung | 23 % |
| Apple | 22 % |
| Xiaomi | 10 % |
| OPPO | 9 % |
| vivo | 8 % |
Counterpoint also cites Apple's previous year's figure of 18 percent. According to the report, Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo each lost market share compared to the third quarter of 2025. All three are particularly strong in the price-sensitive segment, which is suffering the most from higher storage costs.
The figures measure deliveries to retailers, not sales to end customers. Therefore, they show how many devices manufacturers have released into the distribution channels.
Fewer iPhones, but a larger share
The record share doesn't mean Apple shipped more iPhones. According to Counterpoint, unit sales declined year-over-year, just less sharply than the rest of the market. The company attributes this decline primarily to the staggered launch: only the Pro models were released in the fall, while the regular iPhone 18 won't follow until spring 2027. Last year, Apple launched the entire iPhone 17 lineup at once, resulting in a correspondingly larger sales volume in the launch month.
Added to this are the price increases, which, according to Counterpoint, only affected the last few weeks of the quarter. Two things supported the figures: The iPhone 18 Pro launched stronger than its predecessors, especially in China and India. And demand for the iPhone 17 remained stable enough to offset a larger decline.
The findings in China align with the sales data from the launch week, in which Apple achieved a 33 percent market share there, according to Counterpoint. First place was.
Apple's share over the year
Counterpoint's analysis for the first three quarters of 2026 shows a clear trend: The overall market shrinks more from quarter to quarter, while Apple's share remains above 20 percent.
| Quarter 2026 | Total market compared to the previous year | Apple | Samsung |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 (Jan.–Mar.) | -6 % | 21 % | 20 % |
| Q2 (April–June) | -11 % | 20 % | 24 % |
| Q3 (July–Sept.) | -20 % | 22 % | 23 % |
In the first quarter, Apple took the lead in the global smartphone market for the first time in a first quarter. In the second quarter, Samsung reclaimed first place, driven by its Galaxy S26 series. In the third quarter, the two were separated by only one percentage point.
What the figures mean for the quarterly results
Apple's third calendar quarter corresponds to its fourth fiscal quarter. Apple will release its financial results on November 2nd. The Pro models have been available since September 18th, covering just under two weeks of this period.
This also explains why Counterpoint's finding regarding the strong launch doesn't contradict the reduced component orders for the iPhone 18 Pro, which Nikkei Asia reported. The reduction affects Apple's planning for October, i.e., the next quarter. Both figures describe different timeframes.
Counterpoint does not expect any improvement for the remainder of the year. Due to high component costs, manufacturers are increasingly focusing on profit rather than production volume, and a recovery, particularly in the budget segment, is not expected until costs decrease and supply chains ease.
A record that primarily tells the story of the market
I see the record market share less as a sign of particular strength and more as an indication of where the market is currently breaking down. If entry-level and mid-range devices become more expensive due to rising memory costs, this hits manufacturers with a broad, budget-friendly product range harder than Apple, whose lineup is positioned at the top end anyway. Their market share then increases, even if their own unit sales decline.
This pattern has been visible in the European market for some time. In the second quarter, Apple achieved a 34 percent market share in Europe, according to Counterpoint, putting it on par with Samsung, while the market there shrank by 10 percent. At the same time, price increases in Germany were higher than in the US: The iPhone 18 Pro launched at €150 more than its predecessor, while Apple added $100 in the US, and the iPhone 17 also became €150 more expensive with the September price hike.
If you're planning a switch, your options are limited: A new, cheaper model won't be available until spring, and even last year's devices in the current iPhone range have become more expensive.
Would you wait until spring for the regular iPhone 18 to get a new one – or would you go for the more expensive Pro model or a previous year's device? Tell us in the comments what you'd decide.
