Apple Captures Record 20% Smartphone Market Share in Best-Ever Q2

Apple captured a record 20 percent share of the global smartphone market in the second quarter, up from 16 percent a year earlier, even as worldwide smartphone shipments declined 4 percent year over year. The figures come from new Omdia data released Monday. The result follows Apple's first-ever lead in first-quarter global shipments earlier this year and marks the company's best June quarter on record.



Apple managed to grow in what is traditionally the iPhone's weakest stretch of the year. The iPhone 17 series delivered one of the strongest upgrade cycles in Apple's history, while the company maintained stable pricing even as most competitors were forced to raise prices.


Those higher prices stem largely from a global memory chip shortage that has sent component costs soaring. Omdia noted that memory and storage alone now account for more than 60 percent of the bill of materials for a budget smartphone and more than 30 percent for a high-end model. Some vendors are paying more than four to five times what they paid a year ago for the same memory. Several Chinese vendors responded by reducing their product lineups and raising prices, while Samsung also gained ground in the budget segment as rivals pulled back.

Omdia analyst Runar Bjorhovde said Apple "benefited from stable pricing while most competitors were forced to raise their pricing." The result was a four-point market-share gain for Apple. Samsung remained the market leader with a 22 percent share, helped by resilient demand and strong supply availability. The delayed launch of the Galaxy S26 series also pushed some premium-segment demand into the second quarter.

Xiaomi held third place with an 11 percent share, OPPO followed at 10 percent, and vivo rounded out the top five at 8 percent. The steepest volume declines hit the sub-$400 mass-market segment, where tight supply, razor-thin margins, and price-sensitive buyers collided. Omdia expects the pressure to intensify over the next two quarters as seasonal demand peaks run into constrained memory supply, pushing more vendors toward higher-priced devices while leaving fewer options for budget-conscious buyers.

The question now is whether Apple will eventually raise iPhone prices as well. Late in the quarter, the company raised prices across its Mac and iPad lineups, and CEO Tim Cook has previously warned that memory cost increases are becoming unavoidable. Omdia expects memory prices to remain elevated until at least the second half of 2027, suggesting smartphone makers will continue facing significant cost pressure over the coming year.