Apple does another first-ever with the iPhone and leaves Samsung behind in the most delicate moment

Mere hours ago, we told you about how Apple and Samsung, these ever-sparring frenemies, have come to a draw in Europe in Q1 of 2026.

Let's go global and see what Cupertino has been up to in the first three months of this very interesting year.

The data shows that Apple may've set a record of their own: the company is reportedly leading the global smartphone shipments in market share with 21%. Meanwhile, Samsung is in the second place.

What do the numbers say?

The numbers come straight from Counterpoint Research and look like this:



The intel company says that Apple's lead in Q1 of 2026 is Cupertino's first time. The Tim Cook-led giant scored a 21% market share and a 9% growth (year-on-year) of phone shipments, driven by strong iPhone 17 demand.

But the chart shows Samsung also at 21% in Q1 2026. This, according to Counterpoint, might seem like a draw, but as the data shows, Apple is in the lead. The reason is almost certainly rounding.

So Apple may actually have had something like 20.8%, while Samsung had 20.5%. Both would appear as 21% in the table, but Apple would still technically rank first.

"That's not impressive!" – yeah, it is

Traditionally, Q1 is Samsung's territory. That's Sammy's strongest period, not Apple's.

And you know why that's the case. In January, February and March, Samsung benefits from the strong Galaxy S-series launches (which occur early in the year) and from wider distribution across emerging markets.

In contrast, Apple's best Q, historically speaking, is Q4. That's when the Cupertino giant usually dominates. This, of course, happens after the new iPhone launches. Apple often loses momentum in Q1 afterwards – but not this time around.

It doesn't matter if you're winning by a tiny margin, it's still a win. And it's twice as sweet, since you're beating your rival on its territory. The iPhone 17 lineup will surely go down in history as one of the most successful phone series in Apple's modern history..

The global stats

The Latin America region was the only one to experience a 3% YoY growth. The increase was supported by Motorola and Honor expanding their presence across the market, while Apple's return to Argentina also helped boost regional volumes.

In contrast, the Asia-Pacific area slipped into decline after maintaining positive momentum for the previous two years. The region recorded a 3% year-over-year drop, signaling weakening demand across several key markets.

The Middle East and Africa experienced the steepest contraction among all regions, with shipments falling 7% annually, which is hardly a surprise given the military events in the Gulf. 

The conflict in the Middle East also took a toll on Europe which posted weaker results as well, declining 6% year over year.

Where to now?

The global smartphone market continued to struggle in Q1 2026, as shipments fell 3% compared to the same period last year. The decline was mainly caused by shortages of memory chips, which made it harder and pricier for phone makers to produce devices.

At the same time, consumer demand weakened as many people delayed upgrading their smartphones due to economic uncertainty and rising prices. The new normal stuff strikes again.

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