Omdia: Global Smartphone Shipments Exceed Expectations With 1% Growth in 1Q26, but Second-Half Outlook Remains Uncertain

Omdia: Global Smartphone Shipments Exceed Expectations With 1% Growth in 1Q26, but Second-Half Outlook Remains Uncertain

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 30, 2026-

Omdia: Global smartphone shipments grew by 1% in Q1, fueled by supply side push

Despite the ongoing memory chip crisis, Omdia reported a 1% rise in global smartphone shipments for Q1. Total shipments during the first three months of the year reached 298.5 million units, fueled by vendor front-loading. This is when smartphone companies strategically push inventory volumes in anticipation of rising component costs. Samsung regained the title as the world’s number one smartphone brand, thanks to 65.4 million shipments for the …

Global smartphone shipments exceed expectations with 1% growth in 1Q26, but second-half outlook remains uncertain – Omdia

Persistent inflation has compressed household discretionary budgets, creating a widening gap between channel sell-in and underlying sell-out. #pressrelease

Global Smartphone Shipments Reveal a Clear Winner, a Strong Runner-Up, and a Worrying Trend

Earlier this month, Omdia released a report that shared market shares of the top 5 smartphone manufacturers for Q1 2026. Now the company is back with another report, which shares how many phones each of those OEMs shipped,  while it also shares some insights about H2 2026. Global smartphone shipments for Q1 2026 reveal Samsung as the real winner Let’s focus on the shipments first, shall we? As you already know, Samsung is once again the number 1…

Samsung regains top spot in the smartphone market

After years of dominating the global smartphone market, Samsung lost its crown to Apple last year. However, it has bounced back and reclaimed the top spot in Q1 2026, largely thanks to the strong performance of the Galaxy S26 series launched earlier this year. Samsung was the world’s biggest smartphone brand in Q1 2026 According to the latest figures from research firm Omdia, Samsung shipped 65.4 million smartphones and captured a 22 percent…

Global Smartphone Market Q1 2026: Growth Slows to 1% as Samsung, Apple Lead Vendor Performance Amid Shifting Buying Trends

The global smartphone market shipped 298.5 million units in Q1 2026, registering 1 percent year-on-year growth, according to Omdia. The quarter reflected a complex mix of strong vendor performance and weakening consumer demand, driven largely by supply-side dynamics and inflationary pressures. Top smartphone markets Q1 2026 Omdia report Samsung retained its leadership position with 65.4 million shipments, growing 8 percent year-on-year. Its perf…