Samsung has reclaimed the top position in the global smartphone market, while Apple is rapidly closing the gap, even as the overall market faced a sharp downturn in the second quarter of 2026 amid memory shortages and rising smartphone prices.
According to Counterpoint Research, the global smartphone market declined 7% year-on-year in Q2 2026. However, frontloaded shipments by some smartphone makers helped soften the impact of the downturn.
Samsung recorded a 23% market share in Q2, growing 9% year-on-year, supported by favourable pricing and competitive market dynamics. Apple followed closely with a 21% share, its highest Q2 share, after shipments grew 13% year-on-year, driven by strong demand for the iPhone 17 series.
Apple was also the only major smartphone maker among the leading players to avoid price hikes amid rising memory costs.
The longer-term data shows how the two companies have strengthened their positions. Samsung's share increased from 20.1% in 2019 to 21.8% in H1 2026, while Apple's share rose sharply from 13.2% to 20.9% during the same period.
Chinese smartphone makers, meanwhile, have seen their market positions weaken after strong growth in the earlier years. Xiaomi's share fell to 11.4% in H1 2026, from a peak of 13.7% in 2021. In Q2, its shipments declined 26% year-on-year, the steepest fall among the top five manufacturers, as its greater exposure to entry-level and mid-range devices made it more vulnerable to higher memory costs and weaker consumer affordability.
OPPO's share also declined from 15.5% in 2021 to 10.3% in H1 2026, while vivo stood at 7.6%.
Developed markets remained relatively resilient. North America grew 6%, while Western Europe declined only 1%, helped by their higher exposure to premium smartphones.
Together, Samsung and Apple accounted for 42.7% of the global smartphone market in H1 2026, pointing to increasing concentration among the industry's leading premium players.