The latest research from Omdia shows the Middle East smartphone market (excluding Turkey) declined 6% year-over-year (YoY) to 11 million units in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026.
And Apple wasn’t immune. It sold 1.2 million iPhones during the period for 11% market share. That compares to sales of 1.6 million iPhones in the first quarter of 2025. That’s a 2% annual decline in sales.
Apple is the fourth largest seller of smartphones in the Middle East (excluding Turkey). Ahead of it are Samsung (34% market share), HONOR (18% market share), and TRANSSION (12% market share).
Omedia says that persistent global memory cost inflation has pushed smartphone prices higher across both new and existing portfolios, limiting promotional intensity. Rising geopolitical tensions toward the end of the quarter further disrupted regional supply-chain activity and added pressure on consumer confidence across the region, adds the research group.
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