What it’s worthwhile to know
- Analysis firm, Omdia, reported on the U.S. smartphone marketplace for Q1 2026, stating it has dipped by 3% YoY.
- The corporate says that rising reminiscence and storage prices aided this decline, in addition to “restrained provider upgrades.”
- Samsung dropped 5% YoY, nevertheless it nonetheless led the cost for Android, taking on 24% of the market; nonetheless, Apple (down 3%) took the primary spot with 60%.
- The one Android maker to go constructive was Motorola, which marked an 18% development within the U.S. smartphone market.
Reviews discussing how smartphones carried out in Q1 are surfacing, they usually’re telling the story of a struggling market.
The analysis firm Omdia shared a press launch this morning (Could 27), highlighting how the U.S. smartphone market carried out in Q1 2026. In accordance with its analysis, the market didn’t carry out as nicely YoY (year-over-year). Omdia states the market dipped by 3% YoY in Q1, as firms shipped 33.4 million models throughout the nation.
The trigger? Omdia says “shipments have been pressured by a extra restrained provider improve surroundings, rising reminiscence and storage prices, and delayed system launches that compressed sell-through for key premium fashions.” Although the decline was “modest,” Omdia couldn’t ignore the aforementioned catalysts behind the market’s decline in Q1.
Android Central’s Take
I believe what’s most attention-grabbing is the 60/40 break up between Apple and Android in Q1. The U.S. is almost break up on which units it is reaching for: Android or iOS. Samsung nonetheless leads the cost for Android, however its nonetheless roughly 40% behind Apple (and ~12 million shipped units behind, too). I am additionally fairly shocked by Motorola. It is the one in style Android model that went constructive—and by double digits, at that.
The state of affairs breaks down firm efficiency, too, with Apple main the cost with 60% of the U.S. telephone market. Nevertheless, the corporate is not unscathed, as Apple posted a 3% dip in Q1. Coming in second is Samsung with 24% of the U.S. market, delivery 7.9 million telephones. Omdia says that the Korean OEM truly marked a 5% decline, which was possible aided by the late Galaxy S26 launch. It additionally states that regardless of the S26 collection’ later debut, it outperformed the Galaxy S25 by 25% in pre-orders.
Google fell fairly brief, delivery 800,000 telephones in Q1 and accounting for 3% of the market. Nevertheless, Motorola made a splash early this 12 months. The corporate took up 11% of the market from January to March, and is the one firm that went constructive with an 18% development. Omdia’s knowledge suggests this may very well be attributed to its “refreshed” Moto G choice.
A whole lot of shifting components
Omdia breaks down the market when it comes to sectors, such because the premium and entry-level (even mid-range). Its report says that the premium market (units priced $800 or extra) noticed a small 1% decline in Q1. Curiously, entry-level units elevated by 8%. These telephones, sometimes priced below $300, may’ve been aided by pay as you go plans and the like. The analysis firm predicts that the struggles hounding the market early in 2026 will proceed.
It initiatives that 2026 may decline by 4% general for the U.S. smartphone market.
We’re having a distinct dialogue than we have been earlier this 12 months when This fall 2025 experiences got here out. Now, this was a distinct story, as that report involved world smartphone shipments. Both means, globally, smartphones rose by 2.3%, and Samsung and Apple led the cost. Samsung shipped 61.2 million models globally in This fall 2025, taking on 18.2% of the market. Apple took up 24.2%, delivery 81.3 million models.
