According to Counterpoint Research, Apple outperformed the broader US smartphone market in Q1, helped by continued iPhone 17 demand amid weakening Android sales. Here are the details.
In a new report, Counterpoint Research says that Apple saw a 1.3% year-over-year bump in iPhone sales in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2026, in stark contrast to a 5.7% decline in the overall market.
As Counterpoint notes, Apple’s performance was driven in part by stronger-than-expected demand for the base iPhone 17, as well as Samsung’s delayed launch of the Galaxy S26 series.
Historically, Samsung’s Galaxy S flagship phones have reached stores in January or February every year since 2021. This year, however, the Galaxy S26 lineup only hit shelves in mid-March, “leaving somewhat of a vacuum in the premium space for an extra month in Q1,” according to Counterpoint.
This helped the iPhone account for 75% of smartphone sales at the Big 3 US carriers in Q1 2026, up from 72% a year earlier.
