The global smartphone market experienced its slowest second quarter since 2013, primarily due to soaring memory chip prices and prevailing economic uncertainty. While Samsung and Apple successfully grew their market presence, numerous other brands struggled with significant losses. As a result, manufacturers are shifting their focus towards premium devices rather than budget-friendly options, a trend projected to persist until 2026.

Omdia: Global Smartphone Market Down 4% in 2Q26 While Apple and Samsung Soared

July 13 : Global smartphone shipments fell 11 per cent in the second quarter to their lowest level for the period since 2013, as a prolonged memory chip shortage drove up handset…

The memory crunch has dragged down global smartphone shipments to the lowest second-quarter levels in 13 years.

Memory and storage now account for more than 60% of production costs for some budget smartphones and over 30% for premium models