Counterpoint’s data says that Apple did something during Q1 it had never done before
The iPhone’s position as an ultra-premium device shielded it from higher component prices said Counterpoint
Despite memory shortages leading to price hikes for DRAM chips, and increasing prices for NAND memory, Counterpoint said that Apple was somewhat protected from these higher prices due to the iPhone’s position as an ultra-premium device. Also helping Apple was its “highly integrated” supply chain and Counterpoint had Apple taking the top spot in shipments during Q1.
We interrupt the top five countdown for one second to tell you about two brands outside the top five that had an extremely strong first quarter. The Pixel continues to take advantage of its AI-related features and saw an annual 14% gain in Q1 shipments.
Nothing surely did something during Q1
Nothing was something else during the first three months of the year, with a solid 25% improvement in first quarter shipments. Counterpoint cited Nothing’s unique design, its position as a niche brand albeit with growing brand awareness by consumers.
Back to the countdown, Xiaomi was third and as its smartphone shipments worldwide declined by a whopping 19% year-over-year, its first quarter market share dropped to 12% from 14% during 2025’s initial quarter. As the company is known for its lower prices, the DRAM chip shortage and the component’s higher prices have really hurt Xiaomi.
The iPhone Ultra could play a huge role in jacking up foldable shipments this year
Oppo’s phone shipments declined 4% for the January, February, and March period as its market share remained static for the quarter at 11%. Fellow Chinese phone manufacturer vivo saw its smartphone deliveries fall during Q1, but only by 2%. Its share of the global smartphone market actually rose by 1 percentage point from 7% to 8%.
Some analysts expect the arrival of the long awaited foldable iPhone Ultra to pump up foldable shipments by as much as 30% in 2026. Many will be looking to see if Apple and its display supplier Samsung were able to finally get rid of the crease that marred the look of the foldable internal displays to date.
Overall, Q1 global smartphone shipments declined 6% on an annual basis according to Counterpoint. Keep in mind that the figures provided by Counterpoint were Sell-In shipments, which refers to shipments sent to retailers and carriers.
