iPhone takes bigger share of shrinking smartphone market

Apple’s share of global smartphone shipments hit a record 22% in the third quarter of 2026, despite a decline in its own iPhone shipments, according to preliminary figures from Counterpoint Research.

Apple finished the quarter just behind Samsung, which accounted for 23% of shipments. Across the industry, manufacturers shipped 20% fewer smartphones than a year earlier, bringing the July-September total to its lowest level since 2012.

Apple’s launch plan was a significant factor in the decline in shipment volume this year. With no standard iPhone 18 arriving alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September, Counterpoint said Apple delivered fewer new devices to retail channels than when last year’s iPhone 17 line launched.

The research firm nevertheless reported a better debut for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models than for the previous Pro generation, with sales standing out in China and India. Demand for the ‌iPhone 17‌ also continued to support shipments.

Apple also outperformed the Chinese market as a whole. Distinct IDC figures reported by Reuters estimates Apple’s shipment decline at 4.3%, compared to a 15.4% contraction for the country as a whole. The total of 57.9 million units sold in China marked its sixth consecutive quarter of annual decline.

Apple ranks second in China with a 17.8% share, behind Huawei with 21%. IDC said Apple’s new iPhones exceeded sales expectations, even as the narrower selection of new models reduced its overall shipments.

Counterpoint linked the global slowdown to shortages and rising prices of memory chips, which made phones more expensive to produce. It estimates that smartphone retail prices have risen 20% globally since the start of the year, with demand for high-end smartphones proving more resilient than that for budget devices.