Apple Defies Smartphone Slump as Global Sales Hit COVID-Era Low [Report]

Smartphone sales took a significant hit in April, dropping to levels the industry hasn't seen since the early days of the pandemic. Rising component costs and higher retail pricing pushed global sell-through down 10 percent year-over-year, according to Counterpoint Research. The firm says April 2026 marked the lowest monthly sales volume since May 2020. But while the broader market weakened, Apple managed to avoid a year-over-year drop.



The slowdown comes as manufacturers pass increasing memory and component expenses on to consumers, with lower-priced markets seeing the sharpest pullback. Sales in India fell 17 percent as buyers delayed purchases ahead of seasonal promotions, while China dropped 11 percent amid higher device prices and ongoing macroeconomic weakness.


Apple was the only top-five smartphone brand expected to grow in April. Counterpoint attributed the gains to continued strength from the iPhone 17 lineup, solid early demand for the recently introduced iPhone 17e, and strong promotional activity across key regions. Apple is also forecast to expand in Korea, India, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Samsung's global sales are projected to fall 3 percent in April, despite strong early performance from the flagship Galaxy S26 series. Counterpoint says the S26 lineup is tracking 13 percent ahead of the S25 in key markets including the U.S. and Korea. Outside the premium segment, however, higher prices and reduced discounts have weakened demand across Samsung's A-series lineup.

Among Chinese vendors, Huawei was the only major brand expected to increase sales in April after keeping prices steady on lower-end devices. HONOR was also among the few Android manufacturers expected to post gains, while Xiaomi, realme, vivo, OPPO, and Transsion all faced weakening demand as vendors scaled back expansion efforts and reduced supply in key markets.

Counterpoint says smartphone makers have been increasing shipments ahead of mounting memory costs and foreign exchange volatility, leaving global inventory levels slightly elevated. Analysts expect average selling prices to rise roughly 14 percent for the full year, while global smartphone shipments are forecast to fall about 14 percent to below 1.1 billion units, marking the market's lowest annual total since 2013.