Apple and Samsung both expanded their smartphone market share in the second quarter even as global shipments fell 4% year over year. The two largest vendors continue to benefit from the AI upgrade cycle and have been better positioned than rivals to absorb higher component costs.
Apple and Samsung gained smartphone market share in the second quarter while the wider market shrank, pulling further ahead of rivals squeezed by rising costs. Global shipments fell 4% year over year, yet the two largest players grew.
Apple posts its strongest second quarter
Apple lifted its share to 20% from 16% a year earlier, its strongest second quarter on record, according to Omdia. The research firm said the iPhone 17 delivered one of the strongest upgrade cycles in the company's history.
Samsung, meanwhile, stayed the world's biggest smartphone vendor with a 22% share, up from 20% a year earlier. Omdia said the delayed Galaxy S26 launch and resilient demand across premium and budget devices supported the result.
Memory shortage squeezed the rest
The overall decline traced to a memory shortage that pushed up component costs and squeezed lower-priced devices. Both Apple and Samsung have been better positioned than many rivals to absorb those higher costs.
That gap explains the split outcome: as smaller vendors struggled with pricier parts, the two leaders converted the AI upgrade cycle into share gains against a falling market.
Source: TradingView (GuruFocus)
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