Apple Achieves Record Results in the Smartphone Market

According to the latest report by Counterpoint Research, global smartphone shipments recorded one of their weakest third-quarter performances in the past 14 years. Shipments fell by 20% compared with the same period last year. Despite this decline, Apple increased its market share to 22%, surpassing the 20% threshold for the first time in the third quarter and narrowing the gap with market leader Samsung.

According to the report, shortages of memory components and rising production costs are putting pressure on the smartphone market. The industry has faced component supply problems for the second consecutive quarter. These challenges are affecting both consumers’ purchasing power and manufacturers’ production volumes. Other major manufacturers, including Xiaomi, OPPO and vivo, also lost market share compared with the same period last year.

The iPhone 18 Pro series, particularly its performance in China and India, reportedly played an important role in Apple’s results. Despite the absence of the standard iPhone 18 model, the company maintained its overall shipment volume. Apple also adjusted its pricing strategy during the final weeks of the quarter.

Analysts expect the smartphone market to remain challenging for the rest of the year. Rising component costs and more cautious consumer spending may push manufacturers to focus on protecting profit margins rather than increasing shipment volumes. Price increases and supply constraints are expected to have a particularly strong impact on the more affordable smartphone segment. A recovery in the market will depend on lower production costs and improvements in supply chain conditions.