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Counterpoint Articles

macbook neo blue

MacBook Neo Helps Apple Outpace Rivals as Market Declines

Friday October 23, 2026 12:30 am PDT by
Apple increased its share of worldwide PC shipments in the third quarter of 2026, with Counterpoint Research crediting the MacBook Neo for some of the company's resilience during a market downturn. The firm's preliminary estimates put Mac shipments at 5.6 million units, an 11% decrease from the same quarter last year. Worldwide PC shipments fell 21% to 57 million units, allowing Apple's...
iPhone 18 Pro Burgundy 1 1

iPhone Takes Bigger Slice of a Shrinking Smartphone Market

Tuesday October 13, 2026 3:32 am PDT by
Apple's share of worldwide smartphone shipments rose to a third-quarter record of 22% in the third quarter of 2026, despite a decline in its own iPhone shipments, according to preliminary figures from Counterpoint Research. Apple finished the quarter just behind Samsung, which accounted for 23% of shipments. Across the industry, manufacturers shipped 20% fewer smartphones than a year...
iphone 18 pro and iphone 18 pro max

iPhone 18 Pro Sales Jump in China Ahead of iPhone Duo Launch

Thursday October 1, 2026 4:37 am PDT by
Sales of iPhone 18 Pro models in China were 12% higher in the three days after launching than sales of iPhone 17 Pro models were during their entire first week last year, according to Counterpoint Research. The strong start helped Apple claim the top spot in the country's smartphone market for the week of September 14 to 20, handing it a 33% share. But the news could get even better for...
Apple Glasses Blue Feature

Apple's Smart Glasses to Enter a Rapidly Growing Market

Tuesday September 22, 2026 8:54 am PDT by
Apple's first smart glasses could arrive in a rapidly expanding market, with worldwide AI glasses shipments increasing 263% year-over-year during the first half of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research. The figures are particularly relevant for Apple because display-less products accounted for 96% of shipments. Apple's initial smart glasses are likewise rumored to omit an augmented...
iphone 17 models

iPhone 17 Remains World's Best Selling Smartphone

Wednesday August 26, 2026 8:19 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 retained its position as the world's best selling smartphone in the second quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research, with the ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro Max and ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro holding the next two spots on the firm's quarterly ranking. Data from Counterpoint's Global Handset Model Sales Tracker places the standard ‌iPhone 17‌ at 6% of global smartphone unit sales for the...
iPhone 17 17 Pro and Air Feature

Smartphone Sales Are Falling Worldwide, But Apple Keeps Growing

Friday August 21, 2026 6:38 am PDT by
Apple gained ground in India, Latin America, and Europe even as all three markets contracted, according to a new series of Counterpoint Research reports. Between late March and the beginning of August, Indian smartphone sales ran 14% behind the equivalent stretch of 2025, and the market slipped for three straight weeks once major promotions in July had finished. Apple outperformed every...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air Feature

Apple Captures 65% of Global Premium Smartphone Market

Friday August 7, 2026 7:32 am PDT by
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...
series 11

Apple Watch Accounts for 90% of AI Smartwatch Shipments

Friday July 10, 2026 9:33 am PDT by
Apple accounted for roughly 90% of all Edge AI-capable smartwatch shipments in the first quarter of 2026, according to new data from Counterpoint Research. That dominance came as Edge AI penetration across the broader smartwatch market grew 70% year-over-year, reaching 25% in the first quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint's Global Smartwatch Shipments Tracker. "Edge AI" refers to...
iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Max Component Costs Could Rise Nearly $300

Friday July 10, 2026 7:36 am PDT by
The bill of materials for the iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to rise by nearly $300 compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, according to a new Counterpoint Research analysis. The estimate covers the 1TB storage model. NAND flash costs for the device are said to exceed $250 on their own, a figure that would cover roughly half of the ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro Max's entire estimated component cost. DRAM...
MacBook Neo Feature Pastel 1

MacBook Neo Outsold Every Other Mac in Its Debut Quarter

Tuesday June 2, 2026 9:33 am PDT by
Apple shipped 1.1 million MacBook Neo units in the first quarter of the year, according to IDC, making it one of the strongest Mac debut performances in recent memory (via TechCrunch). The figure is particularly striking given that the laptop was only available for roughly three weeks of the period, having gone on sale in mid-March. Shipments began spiking from early April, suggesting the...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Tops Global Smartphone Market for First Time in a Q1

Friday May 22, 2026 5:30 am PDT by
Apple finished as the world's number one smartphone brand by shipments in the first quarter of 2026, according to new data from Counterpoint Research. It's the first time the company has ever led the market in a Q1. Apple captured 21 percent of global shipments and grew 9 percent year-over-year, even as the overall market contracted 3 percent. Samsung came in a close second, also at 21...
iphone 17 pro air

Apple Grew U.S. iPhone Sales While Broader Smartphone Market Declined in Q1

Wednesday May 13, 2026 2:48 pm PDT by
Apple's smartphone sales increased 1.3 percent year-over-year in the United States during the first quarter of 2026, according to data shared by Counterpoint Research. Apple saw a sales increase while the broader U.S. smartphone market experienced a 5.7 percent decline during the same time period. Android device sales declined 14.4 percent, while Apple's market share grew 4 percent...
iPhone 17 Colors

iPhone 17 Outselling Every Other Phone Worldwide So Far This Year

Wednesday May 6, 2026 2:56 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 was the best-selling smartphone globally in the first quarter of 2026, capturing 6 percent of worldwide unit sales, according to Counterpoint Research's latest Global Handset Model Sales Tracker. The iPhone 17 series dominated the top three spots, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max in second place and the iPhone 17 Pro in third. The previous-generation iPhone 16 also held on at...
Emergency SOS via Satellite iPhone YT

Apple Leads Global Market for Satellite-Connected Smartphones

Thursday April 30, 2026 8:28 am PDT by
Apple remains the top manufacturer of satellite-capable smartphones globally, with such devices projected to reach 46% of all smartphone shipments by 2030, according to a new report from Counterpoint Research. The firm's Smartphone Satellite Connection Report finds that Apple kickstarted the satellite phone trend when it partnered with Globalstar to bring Emergency SOS via satellite to the...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Leads Top Brands for China Smartphone Growth as Market Declines

Friday April 17, 2026 8:03 am PDT by
China's smartphone shipments fell 4% year over year in the first quarter of 2026, according to data from Counterpoint Research, with Apple delivering the strongest growth among the top six brands. Counterpoint's Market Monitor Tracker attributed the decline primarily to a high base effect from last year's government subsidy program and rising component costs. Counterpoint noted that...
better iphone 17 lineup

Apple Bucks China's Smartphone Slump With 23% Sales Jump

Saturday March 21, 2026 5:54 am PDT by
Apple saw a 23% year-over-year increase in iPhone sales in China during the first nine weeks of 2026, significantly outperforming a broader market decline driven by weak demand and rising component costs, according to Counterpoint Research. China smartphone sales apparently fell by 4% year-over-year in the first nine weeks of 2026. Within this environment, Apple emerged as the...
iPhone 17 Colors

Report: One in Four Smartphones Are Now iPhones

Wednesday February 11, 2026 5:07 am PST by
Nearly one in four active smartphones worldwide are now iPhones, according to new data from Counterpoint Research. The findings from Counterpoint's Smartphone Installed Base Tracker show that the global installed base of active smartphones grew 2% in 2025, driven primarily by lengthening replacement cycles and the continued circulation of second-life devices. Unlike shipment figures, which...
iphone 16 design

iPhone 16 Tops List of World's Best-Selling Smartphones in 2025

Thursday January 29, 2026 3:24 am PST by
Apple's iPhone 16 was the best-selling smartphone globally in 2025, according to Counterpoint Research's latest report. Apple and Samsung devices dominated the top 10 list for the fourth consecutive year, accounting for 19% of overall smartphone sales. Apple claimed seven of the top 10 spots, while Samsung captured the remaining three. Launched in September, the iPhone 17 series achieved...
better iphone 17 lineup

Apple Regains Top Spot in China's Smartphone Market

Tuesday January 20, 2026 6:41 am PST by
Apple reclaimed the leading position in China's smartphone market in the fourth quarter of 2025 as strong demand for the iPhone 17 lineup offset a contracting market and growing supply-chain pressure from memory chip shortages. New data from Counterpoint Research shows that smartphone shipments in China declined 1.6% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2025 and fell 0.6% for the full...
iPhone Mat Apple Store

Apple Tops 2025 Smartphone Market With 20% Share, 10% Growth

Monday January 12, 2026 3:58 am PST by
Apple emerged as the global smartphone market leader in 2025, capturing a 20% market share with 10% year-over-year shipment growth – the highest among the top five brands, according to data released today by Counterpoint Research. Global smartphone shipments grew 2% year-over-year in 2025, marking the second consecutive year of growth. Counterpoint said the market was driven by more...