Story thread · 10 reports / 4 sources

Apple Captures 65% of Global Premium Smartphone Market

macrumors.com · 4dShare

Apple captured 65% of the global premium smartphone market in the first half of 2026, as the wider premium segment's share of overall smartphone sales climbed to a record 29%. That's according to Counterpoint Research's Handset Model Sales Tracker , which tracks smartphones with a wholesale average selling price of $600 or more. Apple's premium segment revenue grew 9% year-over-year in the first half of 2026, which Counterpoint attributed to strong sales of the iPhone 17 lineup, particularly the base model. Even with that growth, Apple's share of the premium segment has slipped from 74% in the first half of 2022. Counterpoint pins the decline on intensifying competition in China, the largest premium smartphone market, where Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo have all sharpened their flagship offerings, pulling more Chinese consumers toward domestic premium brands. Across the broader premium segment, unit sales grew 5% year-over-year in the first half of 2026, with the segment's overall mar

First report: Smartphone makers brace for lower volumes, higher prices, and deeper market split — digitimes.com, 6d