Global smartphone shipments fell 20% in Q3 — Cyprus Mail
Global smartphone shipments in the third quarter of 2026 declined by 20% year on year to 254.7 million devices. This is the lowest third-quarter figure since 2013, Cyprus Mail reports, citing research company Omdia. One reason was the rising cost of components, which affected device prices and prompted some buyers to postpone upgrading their phones.
Market leaders lost volume
Samsung retained first place by shipment volume, shipping 57.8 million smartphones, 5% fewer than a year earlier. Its position was supported by entry-level and mid-range Galaxy A series models. The company also strengthened its presence in the premium segment after the August launch of the Galaxy Z8, supported by device trade-in and upgrade programs.
Apple shipped 56.5 million iPhones, virtually maintaining last year's result despite the overall market decline. Demand in China and North America offset weaker results in key emerging markets. In September, the company unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and its first foldable model, the iPhone Duo, while postponing the release of the base iPhone 18 until 2027.
Xiaomi shipped 30.7 million devices, or 29% fewer year on year. The company's shipments fell by 20% in China and by 28% in India. OPPO, together with the realme and OnePlus brands, ranked fourth with 23.4 million smartphones and a 39% decline, while vivo shipped 19.3 million devices, 33% fewer than last year.
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The largest decline was in Africa
According to Omdia's estimate, the steepest decline was recorded in Africa, where smartphone shipments fell by 39%. Markets in the Asia-Pacific region excluding Greater China, the Middle East and Latin America also showed declines of more than 20%.
Omdia analyst Sanyam Chaurasia said that emerging markets had previously been the foundation of growth in global smartphone shipment volumes, but are now feeling the greatest pressure from rising prices. Currency depreciation, inflation and rising living costs have weakened purchasing power, so some consumers are postponing device upgrades, turning to refurbished phones or switching to feature phones.
Omdia forecasts that global smartphone shipments will decline by 12% in 2026. The shortage of high-bandwidth HBM memory and constraints on the supply of conventional memory will, in the company's estimate, keep component prices high in 2027 as well.
