Apple leads smartphone market even as overall shipments decline, Counterpoint says

April 10 (Reuters) - IPhone-maker ‌Apple led ​global ​smartphone shipments in the first quarter of 2026, growing 5% year-on-year, ‌even as overall shipments fell due to ⁠a shortage of memory components, Counterpoint Research said on ‌Friday.

Global smartphone shipments ‌fell 6% from a year earlier as Middle East tensions also weighed on consumer ​sentiment, the research firm said.

* Apple led the smartphone market for the first ⁠time in afirst quarter with a 21% market share, Counterpoint said. * The ​firm attributed the growth to Apple's premiumpositioning, integrated supply chain and performance ​in China. * The iPhone ‌maker posted a 23% surge in China smartphonesales in the first nine ⁠weeks of 2026. * Samsung's shipments declined 6% year-on-year in thequarter, giving it a 20% market share, ⁠as a delayed Galaxy S26launch and weakness in the ​entry-tier segment weighed onvolumes, the research firm said. * Xiaomi maintained its third spot with a 13% share, butdropped ‌the most among the top five brands, according to thereport. * The decline in ‌overall shipments "is primarily driven bymemory players prioritizing ⁠AI data centers ‌over consumerelectronics," Counterpoint ​analyst Shilpi Jain said.

(Reporting by Ananya Palyekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal ‌Muhammed)

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