Technology
IDC preliminary data shows record 22% smartphone shipment drop in Q3
9to5Mac reports that IDC's preliminary data show Apple closing in on Samsung as Q3 smartphone shipments fell 22%.
The short version
- IDC's preliminary data show global smartphone shipments fell a record 22% year over year in Q3 2026.[9to5Mac]
- Samsung led with 57.8 million units and a 22.6% share, while Apple was second with 57.3 million, 500,000 units behind.[9to5Mac]
- Apple's iPhone shipments fell 4%, the smallest decline among the top five vendors, while OPPO's fell 34.5%, the largest.[9to5Mac]
- IDC analyst Nabila Popal says the market has not reached bottom, and memory costs, up roughly 350%, are still rising.[9to5Mac]
Key facts
- IDC's preliminary data show global smartphone shipments fell 22% year over year in Q3 2026, a record decline.[9to5Mac]
- Samsung shipped 57.8 million smartphones in Q3 2026, holding a 22.6% share, down 5.8% year over year.[9to5Mac]
- Apple shipped 57.3 million smartphones in Q3 2026, placing second and 500,000 units behind Samsung.[9to5Mac]
- Apple's iPhone shipments fell 4% year over year in Q3 2026, while its share of worldwide smartphone shipments rose 23.1%.[9to5Mac]
- OPPO's shipments fell 34.5% year over year, the largest decline among the top five vendors.[9to5Mac]
- IDC reports memory costs have risen approximately 350% since last year.[9to5Mac]
- In China, Apple's smartphone shipment share rose from 15.8% to 17.8% despite a 4.3% year-over-year decline in iPhone shipments.[9to5Mac]
What remains uncertain
- IDC describes its Q3 smartphone figures as preliminary, so final numbers may differ.[9to5Mac]
- Whether the market has reached bottom is IDC analyst Nabila Popal's outlook, not a settled measure.[9to5Mac]
- Only 9to5Mac is reporting these findings in the provided reporting, so they have not been independently confirmed.[9to5Mac]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.