Global smartphone shipments fell six percent year on year to 272.0 million units in Q2, according to Omdia.
The market’s centre of gravity kept shifting toward Samsung and Apple as memory costs, supply tightness and pricing pressure reshaped vendor strategy. Samsung retained the top spot by volume, while Apple emerged as the quarter’s biggest growth story by posting a record second-quarter performance and widening the gap with the rest of the field.
Samsung shipped 60.5 million units in the quarter, up five percent from a year earlier, for a 22 percent market share. This growth was supported by resilient demand and better supply availability. The Korean giant was also less exposed than rivals to the inventory and pricing shock hitting the lower and mid-tier segments.
Meanwhile, Apple shipped 55.1 million units, up a massive 23 percent year on year, to reach a record 20 percent share in what is traditionally its weakest seasonal quarter. It delivered its strongest-ever Q2, thanks to higher inventory builds ahead of expected price increases and its premium positioning, which better insulated it from the broader downturn.
The China trio of Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo made up the rest of the top five.
Overall, the shipment decline reflects a market under strain from memory-price inflation, which has pushed component costs higher and forced vendors to reconsider pricing, specification and product mix.
“Price is once again becoming a competitive differentiator,” said Le Xuan Chiew, Research Manager of Omdia. “The current memory cost cycle is driving a structural repricing of the industry, creating a lasting shift in how vendors compete on pricing, profitability and product positioning.”
Entelechy Asia 