The shortage of memory chips, which the technology press has dubbed "RAMageddon," continues to have a broad impact on the entire technology industry, and a new report shows that the smartphone market has just reached its lowest point in more than a decade. UNN reports this, citing 9to5Google.
Details
Counterpoint Research reports that global smartphone shipments fell by 20% in the third quarter of 2026, reaching their lowest level in 14 years. The last time smartphone shipments were this low was when Samsung released the Galaxy S3.
The decline affected not only overall shipment figures but also the market share held by major smartphone brands.
Chinese brands, including Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo, accounted for a smaller share of the overall market in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, while Samsung continued to hold the leading position with 23% of the overall market, and Apple held 22%, compared with 19% and 18%, respectively.
Counterpoint says that Samsung's overall shipments fell by only 3%, with the success of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 playing a major role in the company's performance this quarter. Meanwhile, a recent report claims that Samsung is currently not making a profit from selling Galaxy phones.
Meanwhile, Apple experienced a 22% year-over-year decline due to the absence of a standard iPhone 18. Oppo and Vivo declined by approximately 20%, while Xiaomi cut shipments by 30%.
The end of the era of cheap gadgets may be on the horizon – media06.05.26, 09:19