Broken Mobile

Worldwide Smartphone Market to Decline 13.9% in 2026 as Memory ...

www.idc.com

The smartphone market is headed into its worst year on record. According to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, worldwide smartphone shipments are forecast to decline 13.9% year-on-year in 2026 to 1.09 billion units. That is a further downward revision from IDC’s February forecast of a 12.9% decline, and it would mark the steepest annual contraction in smartphone history. Nabila Popal is Senor Director with IDC's Data & Analytics team, specializing in Mobile Phones, PC Monitors and other consumer devices. Ms. Popal is responsible for the global research and quality and timely delivery for her respective technologies, coordinating with regional… ... Francisco Jeronimo is VP for Data and Analytics at IDC EMEA. Based in London, he leads the research that covers mobile devices, personal computing devices, emerging technologies and the circular economy trends across EMEA. “The deepening memory shortage crisis remains the dominant force behind the record 14% drop this year, but it is no longer the only one,” said Nabila Popal, Senior Research Director with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. “The US-Iran war has added a fresh layer of cost pressure for smartphone OEMs, driven by rising oil prices and transportation costs. Combined, these pressures are compelling vendors to reduce shipments, raise prices and concentrate on higher price tiers — elevating smartphone ASP to a record $550, up $100 from last year. 2026 will be a defining year for the industry as new reality of structurally higher costs take hold. The region is dominated by the premium segment, with 60% of shipments in 2026 Q1 above $800, and Apple and Samsung have proven resilient to the crisis at that tier. China is also forecast to decline double digits at 13%, as low-end Android players struggle to compete in the new cost environment. Android as a whole is forecast to see a 21% year-on-year drop, but that number masks two very different stories playing out within it. Samsung is expected to grow market share in 2026, defying the broader Android decline by expanding in the premium segment and taking share in the mid-range.

Smartphone market poised for 'sharpest decline on record' in 2026

www.cnbc.com

The worsening memory crisis could see the global PC and smartphone markets shrink by 11% and 13% respectively, according to a report from the International Data Corporation. Meanwhile, Counterpoint Research is projecting a 12% year-on-year fall in global smartphone shipments in 2026 — the "sharpest decline on record," with smartphone shipments this year expected to fall to their lowest annual volumes since 2013. Analysts are forecasting double-digit declines in the global smartphone market in 2026, amid a protracted memory crunch. Analysts are forecasting the worst-ever decline in the global smartphone market in 2026, as dwindling memory supplies continue to drive up prices of devices. Pathak, however, remains optimistic. "The smartphone market has always been resilient... eventually, people will need a phone."

Memory shortage could cause the biggest dip in smartphone shipments ...

techcrunch.com

OEMs are already responding with launch delays, streamlined portfolios, and specification trade-offs. We have also observed 10% to 20% price increases across some Android OEM portfolios in January 2026,” Principal Analyst Yang Wang said. ... The firm also predicted that pricing volatility amid handsets will also drive the second-hand devices market up. The ‘more specs for less money’ model that many value brands were built on is no longer sustainable in 2026,” he said. “As a result, some markets, particularly entry and mid-tier segments, are likely to shrink by 20% or more, and brands that have historically dominated these segments will struggle,” Pei added. “The memory crisis will cause more than a temporary decline; it marks a structural reset of the entire market, fundamentally reshaping the long‑term TAM [total addressable market], the vendor landscape, and the product mix,” said Nabila Popal, senior research director with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, in a statement. Popal also noted that rising component costs could make the sub-$100 smartphone “permanently uneconomical,” pricing out phone makers that manufacture devices at that price point. The firm said that, because of this trend, shipments in the Middle East and Africa will drop more than 20% year-over-year.

Smartphone Market Decline 2026: Why Phones Cost More & What's Next ...

memeburn.com

IDC’s Nabila Popal, Senior Research Director at IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, put it even more bluntly: “The era of ultra-cheap smartphones is over. Only those vendors that can adapt their strategies to this new cost environment will survive.” · The numbers back that up. Global smartphone wholesale prices rose 14% in Q1 2026. Shipments also fell 3.1% year on year. Some models priced below $150 are likely to disappear from the market entirely as pre-shock inventory runs out. The smartphone market decline in 2026 is set to be the steepest in history — shipments are forecast to drop 13.9% to just 1.08 billion units, according to Counterpoint Research. If you've noticed new phones getting pricier and entry-level options disappearing, you're not imagining it. Wholesale smartphone prices jumped 14% in Q1 2026 alone, and some phones under $150 may simply disappear. Budget phone brands like Transsion (−32%), Xiaomi (−28%), and Honor (−20%) are hit hardest; Apple and Samsung hold up far better. No real relief is expected until 2028, when new memory production capacity is forecast to come online. The global smartphone market is heading for its worst year on record. Because of this, the average smartphone selling price hit a record $550 in 2026 — up $100 from last year. On top of that, Qualcomm’s next flagship chip — the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro — reportedly costs phone makers over $300 per unit. So the pressure on Android pricing isn’t going away soon. Not everyone feels this equally. The collapse is concentrated at the bottom of the market, where margins are already razor-thin.

Used and Refurbished Smartphone Market Analysis | Industry Report, ...

www.mordorintelligence.com

The market size reached USD 69.66 billion in 2026 and is projected to hit USD 96.99 billion by 2031. ... Asia-Pacific leads with an 8.66% CAGR, backed by robust device trade-in programs and rising 5G adoption. Why are certified pre-owned phones gaining traction? The Used And Refurbished Smartphone market size is expected to grow from USD 65.20 billion in 2025 to USD 69.66 billion in 2026 and is forecast to reach USD 96.99 billion by 2031 at 6.84% CAGR over 2026-2031. In terms of shipment volume, the market is expected to grow from 315 million units in 2025 to 430 million units by 2030, at a CAGR of 6.42% during the forecast period (2025-2030). Note: Market size and forecast figures in this report are generated using Mordor Intelligence’s proprietary estimation framework, updated with the latest available data and insights as of 2026. February 2025: AT&T began accepting broken iPhones for trade-in toward iPhone 16 upgrades, broadening device intake eligibility. December 2024: UAE-based Revibe secured USD 7 million Series A to expand Middle-East processing hubs. October 2024: Mobile Klinik partnered with Apkudo to deploy automated diagnostics across Canadian service centers.

Smartphones - Worldwide | Statista Market Forecast

www.statista.com

In terms of individual consumption, the average volume per person in the Smartphones market is estimated to be 0.209pieces units in 2026. This metric highlights the level of adoption and usage of smartphones on a per capita basis. Despite being the world's largest smartphone market, China is experiencing a slowdown in smartphone sales due to market saturation and increased competition. ... Smartphones are mobile communication devices that combine traditional telephony functions with advanced computing capabilities. According to estimates, this market segment is expected to experience an annual growth rate of 3.86% (CAGR 2026-2030). When comparing global revenue figures, it is noteworthy that China leads the way, generating US$118.2bn in revenue in 2026. Taking into account the total population, the per person revenue in the Smartphones market is expected to be approximately US$63.65 in 2026.