Sales dropped 64% year-on-year in Q2, according to research from Counterpoint, as manufacturers raised prices or simply stopped shipping cheaper models. Samsung and Motorola have been the only brands to benefit, as smaller companies became unable to undercut them on price. That helped both grow their market share in prepaid phones. [Image: The prepaid phone market shifted in Samsung and Motorola’s favor. https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/813594c0-9692-11f1-9256-db0728d08812.webp?quality=90&strip=all]

Sales dropped 64% year-on-year in Q2, according to research from Counterpoint, as manufacturers raised prices or simply stopped shipping cheaper models. Samsung and Motorola have…

Counterpoint Research writes that US smartphone sales fell by 5% YoY in Q2 2026, with memory price increases the main culprit alongside other macroeconomic factors weakening…