Report: Apple and Samsung outperform rivals as smartphone chip shipments

Apple and Samsung were the only major smartphone chip vendors to gain market share in Q3 2026, Counterpoint Research found, as global smartphone chip shipments declined 21% year over year. 9to5Mac's report, published November 4, 2026, records Apple still third, up from 17% in Q3 2025 to 21%, and Samsung still fifth, up from 6% to 8%. The report, via MacMagazine, covers rising memory costs and slowing smartphone demand, and it does not disclose how many chips shipped.

This piece is for readers following smartphone chip share, handset prices, and memory costs. It covers the Q3 2026 SoC ranking, the price increases most smartphone vendors made more than once during the year, and Apple holding iPhone prices until September and the iPhone 18 Pro series. It then covers three September 2026 chipsets on TSMC's 2nm process, and Counterpoint's forecast of a 20% shipment decline in 2026 plus another 3% to 4% decline in 2027.

Apple and Samsung outperform rivals: what actually changed

MediaTek still led the global smartphone SoC market in Q3 2026 with 28%, down 6 percentage points year over year. Qualcomm was next at 22%, down from 25%. Apple stayed third, moving from 17% in Q3 2025 to 21%. UNISOC stayed fourth at 13%, down from 14%. Samsung stayed fifth at 8%, up from 6% in Q3 2025. Only Apple and Samsung gained share among the major smartphone chip vendors, while global smartphone chip shipments declined 21% year over year.

Other manufacturers went from a 4% share to 8%, matching Samsung's 8% as a group. Counterpoint did not disclose how many chips were shipped during the quarter, so the 21% decline is not a published unit count for the market, for Apple, or for Samsung. The shifts from 17% to 21% and from 6% to 8% are changes in share. The report does not state a chip-shipment total that would show whether Apple or Samsung shipped more chips than in Q3 2025.

Apple and Samsung outperform rivals: how it works

Counterpoint tied the chip market to rising memory costs and slowing smartphone demand. Many reports over the past few months noted that most smartphone vendors raised prices more than once throughout the year. Apple held off on increasing iPhone prices until September, with the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro series. Those same reports have shown the iPhone outperforming the broader smartphone market even as the industry experiences a sharp downturn. Apple weathered the impact of those memory costs better than many of its competitors.

Counterpoint Research Senior Analyst Shivani Parashar said, "We saw three notable flagship chipset launches in September 2026, based on TSMC's 2nm process node: Apple's A20 series, MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 Pro and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series." Those launches are expected to boost premium smartphone SoC shipments in Q4 2026, although volumes are still likely to remain below Q4 2025 levels. The A20 series, the Dimensity 9600 Pro, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series are the three parts Parashar put on that 2nm node.

Apple and Samsung outperform rivals: why it matters

Apple's share rose from 17% to 21% and now sits one point behind Qualcomm, which fell from 25% to 22%. MediaTek remains first at 28% after a drop of 6 percentage points. Samsung rose from 6% to 8% and remains fifth. Those two gains are the only ones Counterpoint assigned to major smartphone chip vendors in Q3 2026, and they came while global shipments declined 21% year over year. Apple is still third. The gap from second place to third is now a single point.

Apple weathered rising memory costs better than many competitors, and the iPhone outperformed the broader smartphone market in the downturn after Apple held prices until the September launch of the iPhone 18 Pro series. On its fiscal Q4 2026 earnings call, Apple described the memory pricing situation as "unprecedented" and warned that further increases would continue to put pressure on its profit margins in the coming quarters. The higher chip share and that margin warning are both part of the Q3 and fiscal Q4 record.

Apple and Samsung outperform rivals: who is affected

MediaTek took the largest named share loss and still leads, at 28%, down 6 percentage points year over year. Qualcomm, down from 25% to 22%, holds second, one point above Apple. UNISOC, down from 14% to 13%, holds fourth. Samsung, up from 6% in Q3 2025 to 8%, holds fifth. Other manufacturers, up from 4% to 8%, now equal Samsung's smartphone SoC share as a group. Smartphone vendors that raised prices more than once throughout the year are the demand side of the 21% shipment drop.

Apple held iPhone prices until September and the iPhone 18 Pro series, and stayed third as chip share rose from 17% to 21%. Parashar's Q4 2026 comment expects the A20 series, Dimensity 9600 Pro, and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series, launched in September 2026 on TSMC's 2nm process, to boost premium SoC shipments, with volumes still likely below Q4 2025. On the fiscal Q4 2026 call, Apple said further memory-price increases would keep pressure on profit margins in the coming quarters.

Apple and Samsung outperform rivals: what to watch

Q4 2026 is the quarter Counterpoint flagged for a premium shipment boost. Senior Analyst Shivani Parashar said three notable flagship chipset launches arrived in September 2026 on TSMC's 2nm process node: Apple's A20 series, MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 Pro, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series. Those launches are expected to boost premium smartphone SoC shipments in Q4 2026, although volumes are still likely to remain below Q4 2025 levels. MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Apple, the vendors behind those three chips, held Q3 shares of 28%, 22%, and 21%.

Counterpoint expects global smartphone chip shipments to decline 20% year over year in 2026, followed by another 3% to 4% drop in 2027. The research firm also expects memory prices to continue rising next year. Apple's fiscal Q4 2026 earnings call called memory pricing "unprecedented" and warned that further increases would continue to put pressure on profit margins in the coming quarters. Q3 2026 shares were MediaTek 28%, Qualcomm 22%, Apple 21%, UNISOC 13%, Samsung 8%, and other manufacturers 8%.