Global smartphone shipments dip 6% as memory prices surge
Omdia reports a 6% year-on-year drop in worldwide smartphone sales for Q2 2026, falling to 272 million units amid a memory-chip cost crisis.
According to Omdia, worldwide smartphone sales slipped 6% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, totaling 272 million units as the industry wrestles with a persistent memory-chip price surge and higher component expenses. The market, already flat since late 2025, has been further pressured by supply-chain instability expected to linger through the rest of the year. Budget manufacturers bore the brunt, with Xiaomi shipments down 26% and Oppo down 17% compared with the previous year, partly due to forced price hikes and trimmed product lines.
In contrast, Samsung posted a modest increase to 60.5 million units, lifting its market share to 22% despite recording its first quarterly loss, while Apple achieved a record second-quarter shipment of 55.1 million phones, raising its share to 20% thanks to strong demand for the iPhone 17 and stable pricing. Analysts note that firms combining pricing power, supply-chain resilience, and innovative commercial tactics are likely to thrive in the remaining quarters of 2026.
Why it matters
The decline signals tightening supply chains and rising costs that could affect device prices and industry profitability worldwide.
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