Samsung has regained its position as the world’s largest smartphone vendor after overtaking Apple in global shipments, even as the smartphone industry recorded its weakest second-quarter performance in 13 years amid rising component costs and weakening consumer demand.
According to preliminary estimates by Counterpoint Research, global smartphone shipments declined 11 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, marking the lowest April-to-June shipment levels since 2013.
The downturn was largely driven by a prolonged shortage of DRAM and NAND memory chips, which has increased manufacturing costs and pushed handset prices higher.
Despite the industry-wide slowdown, Samsung captured a 24 percent share of the global smartphone market, reclaiming the top spot from Apple.
The South Korean company benefited from strong demand for its Galaxy S26 series, improved product availability and relatively modest price increases in key markets such as India and the Middle East.
Apple, however, remained resilient against the broader
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