Smartphone sales are decreasing rapidly in the country. A similar picture emerged for the April-June quarter. The situation was worse in the third quarter of the year as well. Rather, it is the most 'pathetic' compared to the same period in the last 14 years. Naturally, the question arises, why the sudden downturn in the market? And which brand is the most 'pathetic'?
Better to say, behind this is the increase in the price of memory chips. Due to which every brand is forced to increase the price of smartphones. And that is the reason for this situation. It does not end here, at the same time it is seen that the pockets of the middle class are also getting tight. The decline in purchasing power of our people has made the whole picture so grim.
According to the latest data from 'Counterpoint Research', smartphone shipments fell by 20 percent in the third quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year. Earlier in the second quarter, the rate was 11 percent (the lowest for the second quarter since 2013). Additionally, smartphone shipments declined by 6 percent in the first quarter of 2026. The average retail price of smartphones has increased by 20 percent so far in 2026.
Donations of smartphone memory chips have increased fivefold in a year, experts say. Which means that the global smartphone market has to go through a big challenge. Samsung is at the top with 23 percent share in the global market. Apple is right behind them with a 22 percent share. Compared to these two leading institutions, others lag far behind. Xiaomi (10%), Oppo (9%) and Vivo (8%)—shares of these companies fell as their shipments declined compared to last year. Xiaomi's product shipments have dropped by 30 percent. Whereas this rate was 20 percent in case of Apo and Vivo. But these phone makers are gearing up to launch their flagship or top model smartphones in the market, which is expected to give some momentum to their business.