Apple has increased its grip on the global premium smartphone market to 65% in the first half of 2026, driven by strong sales of the iPhone 17, even as overall global shipments decline and competition intensifies in China.
Apple has expanded its grip on the premium smartphone market, taking 65% of global sales in the first half of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research. The firm’s Handset Model Sales Tracker defines the category as phones priced at $600 and above. Counterpoint said the result represented year-on-year growth of 9%, helped by the base iPhone 17.
The latest figures extend a pattern that has been building for several years. Counterpoint said Apple held 62% of the premium market in the first quarter of 2022 and 74% across the full year before easing to 65% in the first half of 2026. The research group links part of that long-term shift to stronger competition in China, where Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo have widened their premium offerings and taken share from Apple.
Samsung remained Apple’s nearest rival, but it was far behind with 19% of the global premium market, Counterpoint said. The broader premium segment also continued to grow, with sales up 5% year on year. Counterpoint said the narrowing gap between mid-tier and flagship prices is encouraging more buyers to move up to higher-end devices.
The strength of the premium market sits alongside a more difficult environment for the wider handset industry. Counterpoint said global smartphone shipments fell 11% year on year in the second quarter of 2026, reaching their lowest level for a second quarter since 2013, while Apple’s overall shipments rose 3% and its share reached 20% for the first time. That suggests Apple is still outperforming the market even as supply constraints and weaker demand weigh on lower-priced phones.
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