Apple Captures 65% of Global Premium Smartphone Market

Apple captured 65% of the planetary premium smartphone marketplace successful the archetypal fractional of 2026, arsenic the wider premium segment's stock of wide smartphone income climbed to a grounds 29%.


That's according to Counterpoint Research's Handset Model Sales Tracker, which tracks smartphones with a wholesale mean selling terms of $600 oregon more. Apple's premium conception gross grew 9% year-over-year successful the archetypal fractional of 2026, which Counterpoint attributed to beardown income of the iPhone 17 lineup, peculiarly the basal model.

Even with that growth, Apple's stock of the premium conception has slipped from 74% successful the archetypal fractional of 2022. Counterpoint pins the diminution connected intensifying contention successful China, the largest premium smartphone market, wherever Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo person each sharpened their flagship offerings, pulling much Chinese consumers toward home premium brands.

Across the broader premium segment, portion income grew 5% year-over-year successful the archetypal fractional of 2026, with the segment's wide marketplace stock up from 25% successful the archetypal fractional of 2025 and 20% successful the archetypal fractional of 2022. Counterpoint says the latest gains stem mostly from rising representation and constituent costs, which person deed low- and mid-tier phones harder than flagship models.


Premium brands, including Apple, were amended positioned to sorb the higher costs done wider margins and less promotions, helping prolong request adjacent arsenic the broader marketplace grew much challenging. The stock gains betwixt the archetypal fractional of 2022 and the archetypal fractional of 2025, by contrast, were driven chiefly by a broader premiumization inclination arsenic consumers traded up to higher-end devices.

Counterpoint Research said the narrowing terms spread betwixt mid-tier and premium phones is accelerating that shift, making flagship devices, including older oregon discounted iPhones, a much charismatic upgrade for consumers:

As mid-segment Android smartphone prices rise, the terms spread with premium devices, particularly older oregon discounted flagship models, is narrowing. This inclination makes flagship smartphones a amended upgrade enactment for consumers. To enactment this shift, OEMs are expanding financing, trade-in and buyback programs to amended affordability. Samsung has besides expanded its Galaxy Forever programme to respective markets to marque flagship devices much accessible.

Samsung remains the lone different marque successful Apple's league, holding 19% of the premium conception aft 3% year-over-year growth, contempt a aboriginal motorboat for the Galaxy S26 series. Behind the 2 leaders, Chinese brands showed the sharpest maturation disconnected a overmuch smaller base: OPPO grew 69% connected the spot of its Find X9 series, portion vivo grew 20% arsenic the X300 bid outperformed its predecessor.

Counterpoint expects Apple to support its pb alongside Samsung, citing Apple's spot successful developed markets, its integrated ecosystem, and its marque value, adjacent arsenic Huawei and Xiaomi are seen arsenic good positioned to support gaining stock successful China. Counterpoint added that premiumization "will beryllium the cardinal strategy successful the smartphone manufacture arsenic the absorption shifts from shipment volumes to worth and nett maximization."
This article, "Apple Captures 65% of Global Premium Smartphone Market" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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