Global smartphone shipments fall to lowest level in a decade

At the end of the third quarter of 2026, global smartphone shipments fell by 20 percent year on year, to the lowest level since 2012. RIA Novosti reports this with reference to a study by Counterpoint Research.

The results are due to a shortage of memory chips, which prevents most enterprises from obtaining a sufficient amount of components.

The market leader in July-September was South Korean Samsung, whose share over the year increased from 19 percent to 23 percent. At the same time, supplies themselves decreased by three percent. American Apple remained in second place with a result of 22 percent (18 percent a year earlier).

Meanwhile, the Chinese Xiaomi, on the contrary, reduced its presence from 14 percent to 10 percent. Deliveries of the brand’s smartphones immediately fell by 30 percent. Chinese manufacturers Oppo and Vivo also recorded an annual decline in shipments of more than 20 percent.