Apple Tops Q1 Phone Shipments

Apple just did something it almost never does in January through March: it finished first. Counterpoint Research says Apple took 21 percent of global smartphone shipments in the first quarter of 2026, ahead of Samsung at 20 percent. (counterpointresearch.com) That first quarter lead is unusual because Apple usually peaks right after a fall iPhone launch, then cools off while Samsung pushes new Galaxy phones early in the year. Reuters says this was Apple’s first time leading the world smartphone market in a first quarter. (reuters.com) The strange part is that Apple won in a shrinking market. Counterpoint says global smartphone shipments fell 6 percent year over year in the quarter as shortages of dynamic random-access memory and NAND flash memory tightened supply and raised costs. (counterpointresearch.com) Dynamic random-access memory is the phone’s short-term workspace, like a kitchen counter where apps keep what they need right now. NAND flash memory is the long-term storage, like the pantry where photos, videos, and apps sit when you are not using them. (counterpointresearch.com) Apple’s edge came from the iPhone 17 lineup selling well even with those parts under pressure. Counterpoint said iPhone 17 demand, supply-chain planning, and better performance in China helped Apple grow shipments 5 percent from a year earlier. (counterpointresearch.com) Samsung slipped for a very specific reason. Counterpoint said Samsung’s shipments fell 6 percent year over year because the Galaxy S26 launch was delayed and its cheaper entry-tier phones were weak. (counterpointresearch.com) The rest of the leaderboard barely moved. Counterpoint’s preliminary table put Xiaomi at 14 percent share, Oppo at 11 percent, and Vivo at 8 percent, which meant Apple won less by a huge breakout and more by holding up while rivals stumbled. (counterpointresearch.com) Apple also came into 2026 with momentum from the previous quarter. International Data Corporation said Apple shipped 76.9 million phones in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 11.5 percent year over year, which left it with 22.7 percent share for that holiday period. (idc.com) That does not mean the whole year gets easier from here. International Data Corporation cut its 2026 worldwide smartphone forecast to 1.1 billion units, down 12.9 percent year over year, which would be the market’s lowest annual shipment volume in more than a decade. (idc.com) So the headline is not just “Apple sold a lot of phones.” It is that Apple’s core hardware machine kept gaining share in a quarter when memory parts were scarce, consumer demand was soft, and the rest of the market was sliding backward. (counterpointresearch.com)