iPhone growth defies the smartphone market's worst second quarter in 13 years
Apple's iPhone shipments rose 3% in the second quarter of 2026 even as the global smartphone market fell 11% to its lowest second-quarter level since 2013. iPhone 17 Pro Max Global smartphone shipments fell 11% from the second quarter of 2025. Apple's share of global shipments climbed separately to a second-quarter record of 20%. Samsung remained the market leader with a 24% share after posting the strongest year-over-year growth among the five largest smartphone makers. Xiaomi followed Apple with 12%, while Oppo and Vivo held 11% and 8%, respectively. Rising DRAM and NAND memory prices drove much of the decline as suppliers prioritized demand from AI data centers. The resulting pressure has fallen hardest on entry-level and midrange phones, where manufacturers have less room to absorb higher component costs. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
What happened?
Apple's iPhone shipments rose 3% in the second quarter of 2026 even as the global smartphone market fell 11% to its lowest second-quarter level since 2013. iPhone 17 Pro Max Global smartphone shipments fell 11% from the second quarter of 2025. Apple's share of global shipments climbed separately to a second-quarter record of 20%. Samsung remained the market leader with a 24% share after posting the strongest year-over-year growth among the five largest smartphone makers. Xiaomi followed Apple with 12%, while Oppo and Vivo held 11% and 8%, respectively. Rising DRAM and NAND memory prices drove much of the decline as suppliers prioritized demand from AI data centers. The resulting pressure has fallen hardest on entry-level and midrange phones, where manufacturers have less room to absorb higher component costs. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Story details
Apple's iPhone shipments rose 3% in the second quarter of 2026 even as the global smartphone market fell 11% to its lowest second-quarter level since 2013.
iPhone 17 Pro Max Global smartphone shipments fell 11% from the second quarter of 2025.
Apple's share of global shipments climbed separately to a second-quarter record of 20%.
Why it matters
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