Samsung forecast to overtake Apple in global smartphone shipments in 2026: report

Samsung Electronics is forecast to reclaim the top spot in the global smartphone market this year, overtaking U.S. rival Apple, an industry report showed Monday. Samsung's smartphone shipments are expected to rise about 0.8 percent from a year earlier, according to Counterpoint Research. Apple's shipments are expected to decline 2.1 percent this year. Samsung's relatively strong performance is attributed to its broad product portfolio, geographically diversified business presence, in-house component sourcing capabilities, and robust carrier and distribution networks, which have helped strengthen its competitiveness amid supply chain uncertainties, the report said. On the other hand, Apple is facing potential price hikes for the iPhone 18 series phones as well as changes in the launch schedules for individual models. In addition, Apple is only expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone in the third quarter of this year, with initial shipments projected to be only a few million units, making it unlikely to significantly alter the overall shipment trends in 2026, the latest findings said.