Industry
5 publications · October 13, 2026
Global smartphone shipments fall 20% in Q3 2026 to a 14-year low as Apple gains share
Key points
- Global smartphone shipments fell about 20% year over year in the third quarter of 2026.
- Shipments reached their lowest Q3 level in 14 years.
- Apple's iPhone hit a record share of the smaller market, a first for the iPhone according to PhoneArena.
- Samsung also increased its market share.
- Notebookcheck links the decline to rising DRAM prices, which are pushing up phone prices and cutting overall sales.
Summary
(AI)
The three reports describe one picture: the whole market shrank, but the two biggest brands held up better than the rest. Apple’s record share comes from a smaller total, so it does not mean Apple sold more phones. The coverage does not say how Apple’s own shipment numbers changed.
Only Notebookcheck offers a cause. It points to higher DRAM (memory chip) prices raising phone prices and so lowering sales. PhoneArena and Android Headlines, as summarized here, do not say why shipments fell. The excerpts also do not name the research firm behind the figures or give exact market share numbers.
Sources
7 articles from 5 publications
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