Android continues to dominate the global smartphone market, but its position has weakened in the second quarter of 2026: Google’s mobile operating system’s share fell from 79% to 75% compared with the same period last year. Meanwhile, Apple is setting a record for this time of year – iPhones account for 20% of global smartphone sales.
Posted by analysts at Counterpoint Research data On the distribution of smartphone sales among mobile operating systems. In the second quarter of 2026, Android maintained its absolute lead with a 75% share. iOS ranks second with 20%, and the remaining 5% of the market comes from Huawei HarmonyOS. A year ago, the figures were 79%, 17% and 4% respectively.
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The decline in Android’s share comes against the backdrop of a general market decline: global smartphone sales fell 11% annually in the second quarter after falling 4% in the first quarter. The entry-level and mid-price segments of emerging markets have been particularly hard hit. Chinese Android smartphone makers have begun reducing their presence in the lower-price segment and turning their attention to more expensive devices due to RAM shortages and rising component costs. At the same time, the sales volume of Samsung Galaxy S26 is better than that of its previous generation, which has alleviated the decline of Android share to a certain extent.
Instead, Apple’s share increased from 17% to 20%, setting a second-quarter record. This was helped by strong demand for the iPhone 17 series and the launch of the more affordable iPhone 17E. Rising prices for rival devices have made Apple’s offer more attractive, while trade-in programs and installment payments have also spurred smartphone upgrades.
HarmonyOS also strengthened significantly: its global share grew from 4% to 5%, and in China from 17% to 24%. Data from Counterpoint Research shows Huawei is better protected from rising component costs than many rivals because it uses more products from local suppliers. Huawei Enjoy 90 Pro Max contributed significantly to sales, while demand for the company’s older models continues.
Image source: counterpointresearch.com
Counterpoint too show Top five best-selling smartphones in 8 countries based on Q2 2026 results. Apple leads in 6 of these countries (the United States, China, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Japan). In India, OPPO A6X occupies the first place, while in South Korea, Samsung unconditionally dominates, with Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy S26 accounting for 28% and 19% of the market share respectively.
The Japanese market looks particularly interesting. This is the only one of the eight countries studied where a Google smartphone is in the top five: the Pixel 10a is in third place with a 7% share. However, it’s a far cry from Apple – the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17E account for 26% and 20% respectively of smartphone sales in Japan.
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