Samsung has maintained its position as a leader in the smartphone market despite the general decline in the industry

Samsung, a South Korean company, has retained its position as a global leader in the smartphone market, despite an 11% drop in total shipments in the industry. This was announced on July 13 by the Counterpoint Research agency.

According to analysts, in the second quarter of 2026, the market reached its lowest level for this period since 2013.

"Global smartphone shipments fell 11% year—on-year in the second quarter of 2026, reaching the lowest level since 2013," the social network X (ex. Twitter).

According to the agency, manufacturers are forced to shift the increased cost of components to consumers, which has hit the segments of budget and medium-budget devices the hardest. Under these conditions, Samsung regained its leadership status with a 24% market share.

Apple's shipments for the period increased by 3% year-on-year. The share of the American corporation reached 20% for the first time in the second quarter, driven by high demand for the premium iPhone line.

The most significant drop in volumes was recorded by Chinese manufacturers Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo. Analysts attribute the decline in their performance to the high dependence of brands on the prices of memory modules, which are critically important for the production of entry- and mid-level smartphones.

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On June 22, Reuters reported that Samsung Electronics had lost its status as South Korea's most expensive company for the first time since 2000, ceding leadership to chip manufacturer SK Hynix. SK Hynix's capitalization reached 2,080.4 trillion won (about $1.35 trillion), while Samsung Electronics' market value was 2,066.7 trillion won (about $1.34 trillion).