Global smartphone shipments fall 20% in 3rd quarter 2026
Technology
Smartphone shipments dropped 20% worldwide in the third quarter of 2026, hitting their lowest point since 2012.
Rising memory chip costs made phones more expensive to build and buy, leading to higher retail prices and supply shortages that left shelves emptier than usual.
Samsung 23%, Apple 22%, Xiaomi tumbles
Samsung kept its lead with a 23% market share, while Apple reached a record-high third-quarter share of 22%, even though it missed out on sales without a base-model iPhone 18.
Xiaomi's shipments tumbled by more than 30%, shrinking its share to just 10%.
OPPO and Vivo also saw major declines and responded by raising prices and shifting focus: OPPO streamlined its brands, while Vivo doubled down on India and China to weather the tough market.