April 10 (Reuters) – IPhone-maker Apple led global smartphone shipments in the first quarter of 2026, growing 5% year-on-year, even as overall shipments fell due to a shortage of memory components, Counterpoint Research said on Friday.
Global smartphone shipments fell 6% from a year earlier as Middle East tensions also weighed on consumer sentiment, the research firm said.
* Apple led the smartphone market for the first time in afirst quarter with a 21% market share, Counterpoint said. * The firm attributed the growth to Apple’s premiumpositioning, integrated supply chain and performance in China. * The iPhone maker posted a 23% surge in China smartphonesales in the first nine weeks of 2026. * Samsung’s shipments declined 6% year-on-year in thequarter, giving it a 20% market share, as a delayed Galaxy S26launch and weakness in the entry-tier segment weighed onvolumes, the research firm said. * Xiaomi maintained its third spot with a 13% share, butdropped the most among the top five brands, according to thereport. * The decline in overall shipments “is primarily driven bymemory players prioritizing AI data centers over consumerelectronics,” Counterpoint analyst Shilpi Jain said.
(Reporting by Ananya Palyekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed)
