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August 21, 2026 • 2 min read
Samsung lost the global smartphone crown to Apple in 2025. However, the company could take back the lead this year as the smartphone market sees a sharp downturn. The Korean firm may show greater resilience than its rivals as higher memory chip prices put pressure on the industry.
Samsung’s component advantage could help it overtake Apple
According to Counterpoint Research, global smartphone shipments may decline by 14.3% in 2026. The memory supply crunch is increasing component costs, putting pressure on smartphone makers and making it harder for them to maintain shipments.
However, Samsung may perform much better than the overall market. Counterpoint expects that the Korean firm’s smartphone shipments will grow 0.8% this year. This could allow it to overtake Apple and regain the top position.
“Samsung’s return to the top position comes down to its internal component capabilities, broad portfolio and established operator and retail relationships,” said Yang Wang, Counterpoint’s principal analyst (via Bloomberg).
Samsung’s solid supply chain plays a key role in the expected resilience. The company makes several components used in its smartphones, including memory chips. As a result, the firm has more control over component supply, helping it manage rising memory prices better than some rivals.
Chinese smartphone makers may see a bigger hit from the downturn. Brands such as Xiaomi, Vivo, and Honor may face greater shipment pressure because of their exposure to price-sensitive markets. However, Huawei is expected to sustain significant growth as it has built up its own hardware supply chain.
In 2025, Apple took the top spot in the global smartphone market with a 20% market share and 10% year-over-year shipment growth. Samsung followed with a 19% share and 5% shipment growth. So the Korean giant does not need huge growth to reclaim the top spot.
Anyway, only time will tell, but Samsung already led the market with a 24% share in Q2 2026, ahead of Apple’s 20%.
Written by
Binay Konwar started his blogging journey in 2014 and has since written plenty of tech articles. At present, he is working as a News Writer at SammyGuru, covering everything about Samsung. He holds a Master’s degree in Mathematics, but his real passion lies in tech and writing. In his free time, he enjoys playing chess and watching movies.
