Apple witnessed a strong shipment growth of 9% YoY in Q1 2026, driven by the sustained momentum of the iPhone 17 series. The brand also maintained clear leadership in the global smartphone market with a 21% share.
Apple accelerated its portfolio strategy with the early launch of the iPhone 17e, while also maintaining strong differentiation for Pro models through higher storage and premium positioning.
Apple remained relatively insulated from rising component and memory costs due to its integrated supply chain and high hardware margins, allowing it to sustain competitive pricing and premium momentum.
China emerged as a key growth engine for Apple in Q1 2026, with shipments rising 22% YoY, driven by government subsidy, trade-in programs and strong traction for the iPhone 17 series, particularly in the premium segments. This helped Apple sustain strong momentum despite competition from local OEMs and softer overall consumer demand in China.
Apple’s overall shipments growth remained broad-based across emerging and developed markets, with significant growth observed in Japan, India, UK, Brazil and Australia, reflecting continued premiumization and strong upgrade cycles supported by financing schemes and carrier promotions.
Counterpoint Research uniquely tracks both sell-in and sell-through of mobile handsets in the market, giving a broader perspective of the market dynamics. This report covers quarterly sell-in vs sell-through of Apple iPhone models along with average selling price (ASP). The report provides global iPhone shipment and sales by quarter helping clients to understand the demand/supply scenario for the individual models.
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Counterpoint Research is a global industry and market research firm providing market data, intelligence, thought leadership and consulting across the technology ecosystem. We advise a diverse range of global clients spanning the supply chain – from chipmakers, component suppliers, manufacturers and software and application developers to service providers, channel players and investors. Our veteran team of analysts serve these clients through our offices located across the key innovation hubs, manufacturing clusters and commercial centers globally. Our analysts consistently engage with C-suite through to strategy, market intelligence, supply chain, R&D, product management, marketing, sales and others across the organization. Counterpoint’s key coverage areas: AI, Automotive, Cloud, Connectivity, Consumer Electronics, Displays, eSIM, IoT, Location Platforms, Macroeconomics, Manufacturing, Networks & Infra, Semiconductors, Smartphones and Wearables.
