Premium phones reach record 29% of global sales in H1 2026

The Story in Brief

Premium smartphones priced at $600 or more accounted for a record 29% of global smartphone sales in the first half of 2026, up from 25% a year earlier and 20% in H1 2022, The New Indian Express reports, citing Counterpoint Research. Rising memory costs hit low and mid-tier devices harder, while premium brands absorbed the pressure through stronger margins and lower promotional spending.

Apple’s premium segment share fell to 65% from 74% in H1 2022, despite 9% year-on-year growth in H1 2026. The New Indian Express attributes the decline to stronger competition in China from Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO and vivo. Apple’s iPhone 17 series, especially the base model, drove its growth.

The Indian Opinion

The easy story is that consumers everywhere are simply choosing costly phones, but the data points to two forces: premiumisation and higher costs hurting cheaper models. Apple’s growth also shows that a larger market share for premium phones does not guarantee dominance for one brand. The useful test is whether this 29% share holds after memory costs ease and promotional spending returns in lower-priced segments.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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