Apple and Samsung gain market share as chip shipments drop in Q3 2026

Counterpoint Research has released a report detailing the global smartphone chip market for the third quarter of 2026, revealing a 21% year-over-year decline in total shipments. Despite the sharp industry downturn and rising memory costs, Apple and Samsung emerged as the only major vendors to expand their market share.

• Global smartphone chip shipments dropped 21% year-over-year in Q3 2026.
• Apple increased its market share to 21%, while Samsung grew to 8%.
• MediaTek led the market with 28%, followed by Qualcomm at 22%.

Smartphone Chip Market Breakdown

According to the study, MediaTek maintained its lead in the global smartphone SoC market with a 28% share, down 6 percentage points from the previous year. Qualcomm followed in second place with 22%, dropping from 25%. Apple retained the third spot, boosting its market share from 17% in Q3 2025 to 21% in Q3 2026.

UNISOC ranked fourth with a 13% share, down slightly from 14%, while Samsung held fifth place, increasing its share from 6% to 8%. Other smaller manufacturers combined grew from 4% to 8%. Analysts attribute Apple's resilient performance partly to its pricing strategy, holding off on device price hikes until the release of the iPhone 18 Pro series.

The Memory Cost Crisis and Industry Impact

Escalating memory costs continue to challenge the broader smartphone industry, forcing many vendors to repeatedly adjust device prices. During its Q4 2026 earnings call, Apple described the current pricing environment for memory components as unprecedented, warning that it will keep pressure on profit margins.

Counterpoint Senior Analyst Shivani Parashar noted that September 2026 saw three major flagship chipset launches built on TSMC's 2nm process node: Apple's A20 series, MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 Pro, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. These launches are anticipated to bolster premium shipments, though overall volumes will stay below 2025 levels.

Outlook for the Global Smartphone Market

Looking ahead, Counterpoint projects global smartphone chip shipments to decrease by 20% across the full year of 2026, followed by an additional 3% to 4% contraction in 2027. The research firm also expects component memory prices to maintain an upward trajectory next year.

These persistent supply and cost pressures mean device manufacturers will face continuous hurdles in balancing consumer affordability with healthy profit margins as the industry navigates a prolonged demand slump.