Global smartphone shipments dropped by 20% year-over-year in Q3 2026, marking the weakest third quarter since 2012. Analysts attribute this decline to the high demand for memory chips from AI data centers, which has constrained supply for consumer electronics manufacturers.
Among major smartphone brands, Xiaomi experienced a shipment decline of over 30%, reducing its market share to 10%. OPPO and vivo also saw shipments fall by more than 20% compared to the previous year. Samsung maintained the lead with a 23% market share, despite a 3% dip in its own shipments.
Apple achieved a record 22% market share for the third quarter, surpassing the 20% threshold for the first time in this period. The company focused on premium device sales to navigate the market contraction. Meanwhile, PC shipments also saw a significant decline, falling by 20.1% in Q3 2026.
The ongoing memory shortage is expected to continue through 2027. Manufacturers are currently reducing their product portfolios and shifting focus toward premium models to mitigate rising component costs. Forecasts suggest that total global smartphone shipments for 2026 will decline by approximately 14%.
