The US smartphone market declined 3% year-over-year to 33.4 million units in the first quarter of 26, according to Omdia’s latest research.
Apple maintained its leading position despite a 3% year-over-year decline. The iPhone maker benefited from Samsung’s delayed Galaxy S26 launch, limiting direct premium Android competition, according to Omdia. The iPhone 17 series accounted for 70% of Apple’s shipments, while aggressive iPhone 15 prepaid promotions continued supporting demand in lower price tiers, notes the research group.
Samsung ranked second in the first quarter of 2026, with shipments declining 5% year over year as the delayed Galaxy S26 launch.
Apple sold 19.9 million iPhones in the quarter for 60% of the US smartphone market. That compares to sales of 20.6 million iPhones and 60% in the first quarter of 2025.
Trailing Apple in the US smartphone market are Samsung (24% market share), Motorola (11% market share), Google (3% market share), TCL (0.5% market share), and “others” (2% market share).
“The US smartphone market is becoming increasingly polarized, with premium and entry-tier devices proving far more resilient,” said Eric Chen, Senior Analyst at Omdia. “In the firsts quarter of 2026, the $800+ premium segment declined only 1% year over year, supported by Apple and carrier financing. The sub-$300 segment grew by 8%, helped by prepaid demand, plan-linked promotions, and channel pull-forward ahead of price increases on select value models. Meanwhile, pressure was concentrated in the middle of the market, with the $300–599 segment declining 19% and the $600–799 segment falling 6%. This suggests that rising device costs and more selective carrier subsidies put the most [SC1] pressure on Android mid-range and mid-to-high-end devices, while premium models and budget devices remained better supported by US channel structures.”
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