Apple’s iPhone led global smartphone shipments in the first quarter of this year, with its sales up 5 per cent year-on-year, even as overall shipments fell due to a shortage of memory components.
According to Counterpoint Research, global smartphone shipments fell 6 per cent from a year earlier as Middle East tensions also weighed on consumer sentiment.
Apple attributed the growth to its premium positioning, integrated supply chain and performance in China.
Samsung’s shipments declined 6 per cent year-on-year in the quarter, giving it a 20 per cent market share, as a delayed Galaxy S26 launch and weakness in the entry-tier segment weighed on volumes, the research firm said.
In third place was Chinese brand Xiaomi, accounting for a 13 per cent share, but its sales dropped by the most among the top five brands.
The decline in overall shipments “is primarily driven by memory players prioritising AI data centres over consumer electronics,” said Counterpoint analyst Shilpi Jain.
- Reporting by Ananya Palyekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed, of Reuters.
