Foreign media: Apple and Samsung both rank first in the global smartphone market competition, but there is disagreement over data sources. According to Counterpoint, Apple's smartphone shipments grew by 5% in the first quarter of 2026, with a market share of 21%, while IDC claims Samsung took the lead with a year-on-year growth rate of 3.6% and a market share of 21.7%. The discrepancies in shipment volume and market performance between the two companies stem from different statistical methods and definitions, especially regarding how inventory data and shipment records are handled.
The global smartphone market is experiencing a decline, with both Counterpoint and IDC showing an overall drop of 4.1% to 6%. This is primarily due to rising memory costs, increased energy and logistics expenses, and declining consumer demand caused by tensions in the Middle East. Despite this, Apple has maintained growth in the market thanks to its premium product lineup, while Samsung faces a more complex situation, even though it also offers high-end smartphones.
Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo have performed relatively poorly, especially Xiaomi, which relies heavily on the entry-level market and is sensitive to price changes, suffering the largest decline—its sales dropped by approximately 19%. In contrast, Honor (Honor), Nothing, and Google Pixel have stood out, growing by 25%, 25%, and 14%, respectively.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1862687801060359/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.