Overview
- Reports published Tuesday showed global smartphone shipments fell about 7% in Q2 2026 as manufacturers passed sharply higher memory costs into retail prices.
- India illustrates the shift with IDC reporting an 11% drop in Q2 shipments and a 14% rise in average selling price, while IDC now projects more than a 15% fall in Indian shipments for the second half of 2026.
- Entry-level phones have been hardest hit, with the sub-$100 band plunging roughly 74% year‑on‑year and many brands cutting launches or support for low-margin models.
- Major vendors such as Samsung and Apple have been able to hold or grow share by keeping higher-value lines and lifting prices, while smaller makers and white‑label devices saw the steepest declines.
- Industry responses include restoring lower-cost 4G models where possible, raising retail prices, offering more financing, and leaning on the organized refurbished market, which is forecast to expand as new‑device demand weakens.