Samsung Electronics has retaken the top spot in the global smartphone market, overtaking Apple in the second quarter of 2026, even as the industry as a whole recorded its weakest second-quarter performance in more than a decade amid an intensifying shortage of memory chips.

Samsung accounted for 24% of global smartphone shipments in the April-to-June period, according to a new report from market research firm Counterpoint Research, while Apple ranked second with a 20% share, a record figure for the company during that quarter despite slipping back to second place. The reversal comes just one quarter after Apple had briefly overtaken Samsung to claim the top spot, leading the market in the first quarter of 2026 with a 21% share, ahead of Samsung's 20%, on the strength of record-breaking iPhone 17 sales.

Counterpoint attributed Samsung's return to the top of the market to several converging factors: robust sales of its Galaxy S26 lineup, relatively modest price increases in key markets including India and the Middle East, and aggressive promotional campaigns during the quarter. The Galaxy S26 Ultra, released in March, emerged as what Counterpoint described as the "standout performer" driving the company's overall shipment growth. Notably, Samsung avoided raising the price of its flagship Ultra model even as component costs climbed industrywide, a decision that appears to have helped sustain demand for its highest-end device.

Despite Samsung's strong showing, the broader global smartphone market contracted sharply during the quarter. Global shipments fell 11% year over year, marking the weakest second-quarter performance since 2013, according to Counterpoint. The research firm pointed to a persistent and worsening........

© International Business Times