Estimated 2Q26 Chinese enterprise smartphone shipments to decrease by 17.8% YoY; Smartphone shipments in the Chinese market will decrease by 5.4% YoY
Abstract
According to DIGITIMES, surging memory prices forced Chinese smartphone makers to reduce shipments of mid- to low-end models and raise product prices in the first quarter of 2026, causing global smartphone shipments for the quarter to fall 5.6% year-over-year to 278.3 million units.
Looking ahead, memory prices are expected to continue rising sharply throughout the first half of the year. Consequently, Chinese vendors will likely further cut shipments of lower-end models, with global smartphone shipments for the second quarter projected to decline 10% year-over-year.
DIGITIMES has revised its first-quarter 2026 forecast for China's smartphone shipments upward to 72 million units from the 67.8 million units projected in February. However, second-quarter shipments in China are expected to drop 5.4% from a year earlier.
Table of contents
Introduction
Key factors affecting the global smartphone market
Chart 1: Key factors affecting 1H26 smartphone shipments in global market
Chart 2: Global smartphone shipments, 4Q24-2Q26 (m units)
Shipment breakdown
China and non-China markets
Chart 3: Shipments in China and non-China markets, 4Q24-2Q26 (m units)
Top brands
Chart 4: Shipments by top brands, 4Q24-1Q26 (m units)
Annual shipments
Chart 5: Global smartphone shipments, 2022-2026 (m units)
Global 5G smartphone
Chart 6: Global 5G smartphone shipments and share, 2022-2026 (m units)
Generative AI smartphones
Chart 7: Global GenAI smartphone shipments, 2024-2026 (m units)
Summary
Chart 8: Inventory status of smartphone supply chain, 2Q26
Chart 9: Global smartphone shipment Y/Y growth, 1Q26-4Q26
Chart 10: Shipments by top brands, Y/Y growth, 2026
