Smartphone shipments dropped by 20%, lowest point in 14 years amid memory crisis
RAMageddon continues to have wide effects throughout the tech industry, with a new report revealing that the smartphone market has just hit its lowest point in well over a decade. more…
Global smartphone shipments have plummeted by 20% in Q3 2026, marking the lowest point in over a decade, according to a report by Counterpoint Research. The last time the industry saw such low numbers, Samsung's Galaxy S3 was the latest release. The decline has not only affected overall shipment figures but also the market share of major smartphone brands.
Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo now hold a smaller share of the market compared to the same period last year. Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo all experienced decreases in shipments, with Xiaomi reporting a drop of 30%. Samsung, however, managed to maintain its top spot with a 23% share of the market, up from 20% in the previous year.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8's success was a key factor in Samsung's relatively smaller decline of 3%. Apple, on the other hand, saw a 22% year-over-year decline, likely due to the absence of its anticipated iPhone 18.
Written by urgent.news from 9to5Google's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
