Apple will gain year-over-year (YoY) market share across its smartphone, PC, tablet and smartwatch segments in 2026, according to Counterpoint Research’s Apple 360 Service.
The smartphone, PC and tablet segments will record the highest-ever market share levels, says the research group. This contrasts with most other manufacturers, which are currently struggling to achieve growth due to surging memory prices. Apple is among the few companies well-positioned to weather this storm, according to Counterpoint.
“This year defines Apple’s unique resilience within the industry. The multi-segment market share gains also mean a compounding impact on the company’s ecosystem strength” says Counterpoint Research Director Tarun Pathak. “Apple is still gaining new users across categories, and it will become increasingly difficult for competitors to make an Apple user switch to their operating system.”
Apple’s iPhone shipments are likely to remain flat in 2026, while most of the other key manufacturers will see double-digit declines. Counterpoint says that most manufacturers have to resort to price increases to sustain margins, but Apple has not raised iPhone prices yet.
Why? Premium segments have higher margins and can absorb more price shocks. At the same time, affluent consumers are less affected by price increases.
What’s more, the iPhone 18 Pro series is expected to perform better than the iPhone 17 Pro series, and the iPhone 17 model is likely to continue its strong run in the absence of the iPhone 18 in 2026. As a result, Counterpoint predicts that Apple will reach its highest-ever share in the smartphone market in 2026 at around 25%.
The overall tablet market will also decline in 2026 due to inventory correction and memory shortages, but Apple is expected to grow, driven by an ongoing refresh cycle across its iPad portfolio and continued demand from emerging markets, notes the research group.
Following the launch of the M5-powered iPad Pro in late 2025 and the iPad Air refresh earlier this year, Apple is expected to further strengthen its lineup with new base iPad and iPad mini models during the remainder of 2026. This broad refresh cycle should help Apple maintain consumer interest across multiple price tiers and better withstand the demand pressures affecting the wider tablet market, supporting further market-share gains.
Within the laptop segment, the MacBook Neo’s release will drive growth momentum in favor of Apple in 2026. Apple’s Mac shipments in 2026 will grow 23% YoY, while the overall laptop market will decline 11%, Counterpoint predicts.
Compared to other manufacturers, Apple will gain the highest percentage points of market share in the laptop segment in 2026. Within iPad and Mac as well, Apple’s share will reach its highest ever in 2026, says Counterpoint.
The research group says smartwatches are less impacted by the memory crisis. Still, the segment is expected to show 1% growth in 2026, with Apple growing faster than the overall segment, driven by full-year availability of the SE 3 and Watch Ultra 3 models. 2025 saw Apple’s first comprehensive portfolio refresh after 2022.
Another factor is the lowering of entry points in Apple’s ecosystem. The tech giant has already introduced affordable iPhone (e), watch (SE 3) and now Mac with the MacBook Neo. The company clearly wants to make its products accessible to the larger consumer base, and this is working more in its favor now as other manufacturers increase prices in some segments driven by the surge in memory prices, according to Counterpoint.
Apple’s share increases in multiple categories also reflect the increasing strength of its ecosystem, with more premium users skewing towards Apple. Counterpoint says this will also mean a strong upgrade cycle for all these product categories in the future. Added to this is Apple Intelligence.
At this month’s Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple showcased some strong use cases, especially for Apple Intelligence-backed Siri AI. If Apple delivers and evolves its AI landscape, it will act as a strong stickiness factor for the entire ecosystem.
“Apple holds the most important key, the user touchpoint across the most used devices on the planet,” says Counterpoint Principal Analyst Varun Mishra. “If delivered, a personalized Apple Intelligence will act as a strong ecosystem differentiator and unlock a new multi-device upgrade cycle for Apple.”
Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today
