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Smartphone shipments drop 22% in Q3 2026, largest ever
Global smartphone shipments experienced a 22% year-over-year decrease, reaching 255.3 million units in the third quarter of 2026. This represents the most significant quarterly decline recorded to date, according to preliminary figures from IDC. The report attributes the severe market disruption to an AI-driven memory crisis that has caused component costs to escalate by approximately 350% compared to the previous year. While Samsung and Apple managed to increase their market share with strong premium offerings, Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo faced more substantial drops in shipments.
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