Apple Captures 50% of Global Smartphone Revenue in Third Quarter
Key Facts
Apple captured a record 50% share of global smartphone revenue in the third quarter of 2026, while posting its highest third-quarter revenue, according to Counterpoint Research. The company’s smartphone revenue grew 17% year over year, while its average selling price rose 19%. The gains came as total market revenue increased 3% to $114 billion, despite a 19% decline in shipments. The divergence between revenue and units highlights the effect of higher prices and a richer premium-device mix on the sector’s performance. Counterpoint said market revenue is expected to contract in the fourth quarter as the drop in shipments outpaces growth in average selling prices.
The global average selling price of smartphones rose 27% year over year to a record $442 in the third quarter, according to Counterpoint. The firm attributed the increase to a greater contribution from premium devices and memory-related price increases by manufacturers. The rise in average prices helped drive market revenue growth despite the decline in shipments. The quarter’s picture differed from the second quarter of 2026, when market revenue rose 7% to $109 billion and the average selling price increased 17% to $400. Apple also posted a record 49% share of market revenue then, before rising to 50% in the third quarter.
For Apple, Counterpoint said sustained demand for the iPhone 17 and the early reception of the iPhone 18 Pro supported revenue growth in the third quarter. The company’s shipments were nearly flat year over year, according to Counterpoint’s research director, while its average selling price rose 19%. The director explained that higher prices for iPhone 18 Pro models helped lift the average. The absence of a base iPhone 18 model at launch, along with price increases for older models in September, added to the pricing effect. The director said, "Apple remained the most resilient major brand in the third quarter of 2026, with shipments nearly flat year over year."
Unlike Apple, which captured half of market revenue, Samsung retained its lead in shipments in the third quarter with a 22% share, according to Counterpoint. The South Korean company ranked second in revenue with a 19% share, after its revenue grew 14% year over year. The comparison shows that companies’ ranking by revenue does not match their ranking by units sold. By contrast, OPPO revenue fell 26% and vivo revenue dropped 22% year over year. Counterpoint said shipment declines at the two companies outpaced growth in average selling prices, leading to lower revenue.
Memory figures point to continued cost pressure on the sector as the year draws to a close. Counterpoint said smartphone memory prices rose 5% to 10% in the third quarter compared with the second quarter, and it expects a further 5% quarter-over-quarter increase in the fourth quarter. In its discussion of the second quarter, the firm had cited memory shortages and higher costs, and said those conditions were likely to push companies to keep raising prices and shift toward higher-value segments. It also said Apple and Samsung were better positioned to withstand disruption in the chip market, supported by supply-chain integration and an established shift toward premium devices. These factors put the forecast contraction in fourth-quarter market revenue to the test against falling shipments and continued price increases.
Apple’s fiscal quarter provides separate context from the smartphone market’s calendar-quarter data. The company reported on November 2, 2026 quarterly revenue of $114.5 billion for its fiscal fourth quarter, ended September 26, up 12% year over year. The fiscal quarter’s designation differs from the calendar quarter covered by Counterpoint’s report, so the company’s reported revenue does not represent total smartphone revenue in the market. Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max began on September 12, and availability started on September 18 in more than 65 countries and regions, according to Apple. In the second quarter, Counterpoint said Apple revenue grew 22%, supported by a 13% increase in shipments and an 8% rise in average selling prices, amid demand for the iPhone 17 lineup, particularly the base model and the iPhone 17 Pro Max.