Apple once again beat all its rivals to stay the world’s top smartphone vendor, according to new data from a market-research firm, with its latest quarterly performance underscoring the strength of the iPhone lineup. This is the first time the iPhone has led the world in Q1, traditionally a weak quarter for the company.
Apple’s smartphone shipments grew 5% year over year, while all of its top competitors declined.
Apple tops global smartphone charts with iPhone 17 boom
Apple dominated the world smartphone market in the final quarter of 2025 with a 23% share, according to Counterpoint Research. That helped make iPhone the best-selling smartphone for all of 2025.
And the company may be on course to repeat that achievement this year. It’s certainly starting out strong.
Apple made up 21% of the global smartphone market in the first quarter of 2026, reports Counterpoint. That’s up from a 19% share a year ago.
“Continuous strong demand for the iPhone 17 series and aggressive trade-in programs, along with ecosystem stickiness, drove overall volume growth despite a softer macro environment,” analysts with the firm reported. “The brand experienced notably stronger growth in several key Asia-Pacific markets, such as China, India and Japan, highlighting robust demand for iPhones and effective strategies in these high-potential markets.”
Apple frequently takes the top spot in the smartphone market during the holiday shopping quarter, then loses it in the new year. Not this time.
Samsung and others struggle
Arch-rival Samsung didn’t have nearly so strong a quarter. Its shipments declined 6% versus the same period of 2025.
“The brand faced challenges due to weaker demand in the mass-market segment and a delay in the S26 series launch,” noted Counterpoint.
Beyond Samsung, it’s a bad time in general for smartphone makers not named Apple. All its top rivals saw their shipments decline. That led to a 6% annual decrease in total global shipments — despite Apple pushing the total up.
Global smartphone shipments fell largely because key components — especially memory chips — have become harder to secure and more expensive. Suppliers are increasingly focusing on high-demand AI data centers instead of consumer devices, squeezing phone makers’ profit margins and pushing them to raise prices for customers.
At the same time, a mix of rising energy and shipping costs, along with broader economic uncertainty tied to war in the Middle East, has made consumers more hesitant to upgrade their phones, according to Counterpoint. Many are opting for refurbished devices instead, further dampening demand for new models.
The impact has been felt most strongly in lower-priced phones, where buyers are more sensitive to rising costs. Entry-level and mid-range devices have seen the biggest pressure as both supply shortages and weaker demand take a toll. Premium brands like Apple have held up better, but companies that rely on high-volume, lower-cost devices — particularly Chinese manufacturers — have seen steeper declines, especially in more price-sensitive markets.
“Apple remains the most insulated brand against the memory crisis due to its ultra-premium positioning and highly integrated supply chain,” said Counterpoint.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
