Counterpoint Research says Apple captured 65% of the premium smartphone market in the first half of 2026, as the segment grew to a record 29% of global smartphone sales. Here are the details.
iPhone 17 helps Apple reverse last year’s decline
In a new report, Counterpoint Research said premium smartphones ($600 and up) accounted for a record 29% of the overall market during the first half of 2026, up four percentage points year-over-year.
From that total, Apple accounted for 65% of premium smartphone sales, up from 63% in H1 2025 but down from 74% in H1 2022. Samsung held steady at 19% compared with last year, up from 17% in 2022.
Counterpoint attributed Apple’s 9% year-over-year growth to the strong performance of the iPhone 17 line, “especially the base model,” reversing last year’s downturn it says was the result of “intensified competition in China.”
