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US Smartphone Sales Performance Q1 2026
Comparison of market growth vs iPhone sales performance
Primary Sources
Apple dominates US phone sales, Google Pixel holds on
A new report shows that, perhaps even more so than usual, Apple’s iPhone is dominating phone sales in the US market, but Google Pixel is apparently holding onto its sliver. Counterpoint Research says that, in Q1 2026, iPhone sales went up by 1.3% year-over-year (YoY) despite the market as a whole dropping by 5.7%. As a result, Apple’s dominance in the US smartphone market went up by 4%, with Android’s share of sales dropping by over 14%. The report partially attributes this to Samsung’s later Galaxy S26 series launch, but mostly on the success of the iPhone 17 series. At the “Big 3” US cellular carriers – Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile – iPhones apparently made up 75% of phone sales in Q1 2026, up from 72% the same time last year. Counterpoint On the note of Samsung’s later launch, the report cites a Counterpoint analyst who notes that the US premium smartphone market is “highly consolidated,” with Google Pixel being one of the major brands. The premium smartphone space in the US is highly consolidated compared to some other markets, with Apple, Google, Samsung and, to some extent, Motorola comprising the vast majority of sales here. When one brand delays a flagship launch, it opens a window of opportunity to fill that vacuum. Apple did just that. It’s later noted that, where Samsung’s promotional/marketing efforts declined in Q1, Apple increased its spend, as did both Motorola and Google Pixel. No direct numbers are shared in this report around how Google Pixel may or may not have slipped, but the mention of Pixel being one of the brands succeeding in the premium space suggests it is at least holding on to the niche it has carved out in the US market. Another recent report mentioned that Google’s chipset shipments were up while those from Qualcomm and MediaTek were down, again suggesting that Pixel is at least holding its ground or growing. Pixel was expected to weather a turbulent smartphone market better than others. Google Pixel is growing in 2026 as almost everyone else struggles in the chaos Meanwhile, in the prepaid space, Motorola managed quite a bit of YoY growth in Q1, making up 32% of prepaid/”national retail” smartphone sales. That’s just a hair behind Samsung, which hit 33%. The report attributes this to other brands “having a tough time keeping up with the marketing power of Motorola and Samsung,” while others have put off new models or exited the market altogether due to the squeeze of shortages and other factors. Counterpoint More ...
Android sales just tanked 14% in the US, but there is a silver lining
Android sales tanked 14% in the US while Apple grew, thanks to Samsung's delayed Galaxy S26 and a collapsing budget phone market.
Apple takes the crown again Q1 2026 smartphone sales ... - Instagram
Apple takes the crown again Q1 2026 smartphone sales are here, and the iPhone 17 series is leading globally. Samsung's A-series still proves budget phones ...
Apple iPhone sales rise in US despite smartphone market decline
Apple Share of Smartphone Sales at Big 3 US Carriers, Q1 2025 vs Q1 2026 The 5.7% YoY decline for the overall US market in Q1 2026 was driven by two main factors: later-than-usual flagship launches and low-end weakness. The first was the delayed launch of both the Galaxy S26 series and the iPhone 17e.
