May 15 - According to a new report from market research firm Counterpoint Research, the US smartphone market contracted in the first quarter of 2026, with total shipments falling 5.7% year-over-year. However, Apple's iPhone sales bucked the trend, posting a 1.3% increase compared to the same period last year.
Data from the three major US carriers - Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile - shows that Apple's market share reached 75% in Q1, up 3 percentage points from a year ago. The company performed particularly strongly on Verizon, where its share climbed to 77%.
Counterpoint attributed Apple's growth to robust demand for the iPhone 17 series. Some demand that went unmet in the fourth quarter of last year spilled over into this quarter. Notably, the base iPhone 17 model outperformed expectations and became a key driver of sales.
Additionally, Apple maintained the original price of the iPhone 17e while increasing its storage capacity. In contrast, many Android brands were forced to raise prices due to higher memory and storage costs, giving Apple a clear advantage in the competitive landscape.
The US premium smartphone market remains highly concentrated among a few players - Apple, Samsung, Google, and Motorola. The timing of flagship releases has a major impact on quarterly sales performance. Samsung's decision to delay the launch of its Galaxy S26 series until mid-March caused it to miss the early-quarter upgrade window, indirectly creating more space for Apple's strong start to the year.
