US smartphone market shrinks by 3% in Q1, expects a further decline in 2026
US smartphone shipments fell 3% year-over-year in Q1 2026 to 33.4 million units amid tariff-driven inventory effects, higher memory costs, slower purchases, and delayed launches.
Apple reclaimed the global smartphone shipment lead from Samsung and is expanding into mid-range phones while iPhone 17 sales drove significant quarterly growth.