Mobile phone sales plunge to lowest level in 14 years

New market research from Counterpoint Research shows that global smartphone sales fell by 20% in the third quarter of this year compared with the same period a year ago. This is the lowest level for a third quarter since 2012.

The decline is attributed to the ongoing shortage of memory components, where sharply rising prices for DRAM and NAND memory have driven up manufacturing costs. Manufacturers, in turn, have raised prices for customers. According to Counterpoint, global smartphone prices have risen by about 20% in 2026.

In terms of market share, Samsung continues to hold the top spot with 23%. Apple is close behind with 22% of the market, the highest share the company has ever held in a third quarter.

Counterpoint does not expect to see any clear recovery in the mobile market for the remainder of the year.ComputerworldRead More