As you may know, the global RAM shortage made devices like smartphones more expensive. The price hike means fewer units are being produced to prevent costs from escalating further. At the same time, consumers stop buying due to the prices. This has had an obvious impact on sales in recent months.
Global smartphone shipments drop
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smartphones in Q1 2026 fell by 4.1% year-over-year (YoY) to 289.7 million units. In comparison, 302 million smartphones were shipped in the first quarter of 2025. This is the first time global smartphone shipments have declined since mid-2023, breaking a 10-quarter streak of growth. IDC expects this downtrend to continue in 2026, as the RAM shortage continues to prevent further market growth.
Senior research director for Worldwide Consumer Devices, Nabila Popal, had this to say in the report:
Limited memory availability is forcing shipment reductions, while sharply higher memory prices are pushing up bill-of-materials cost and forcing price hikes by many top brands.
Samsung leads the pack
Despite the decline in global shipments, the top brands continued to enjoy good sales. Samsung holds the largest market share of 21.7% with 62.8 million units shipped, a 3.6% YoY growth for the South Korean brand. Apple also saw a 3.3% YoY growth, shipping 61.1 million units for a 21.1% market share. The other three brands in the top 5 experienced declines in shipments, but managed to maintain their respective market position.
| Company | 1Q26 Shipments | 1Q26 Market Share | 1Q25 Shipments | 1Q25 Market Share | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Samsung | 62.8 | 21.7% | 60.6 | 20.1% | 3.6% |
| 2. Apple | 61.1 | 21.1% | 59.1 | 19.6% | 3.3% |
| 3. Xiaomi | 33.8 | 11.7% | 41.8 | 13.8% | -19.1% |
| 4. OPPO | 30.7 | 10.6% | 34.1 | 11.3% | -9.9% |
| 5. vivo | 21.2 | 7.3% | 22.7 | 7.5% | -6.8% |
| Others | 80.1 | 27.6% | 83.6 | 27.7% | -4.2% |
| Total | 289.7 | 100.0% | 302 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
As you can see, this report confirms that most companies haven't been selling as many smartphones in recent months. Experts also believe that this situation will continue for some time. But what do you think? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.
COMMENTS