Samsung delivered a notably healthy performance in the United States smartphone market between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026, though the improvement was not driven by its Galaxy S26 series. Instead, a budget-oriented Galaxy handset proved to be the primary force behind the company’s expanded market share.
While the Galaxy S26 range was widely regarded as a global bestseller across numerous market reports during its early months of availability, the latest study covering the US market makes no reference to the Android flagship trio at all. The findings focus solely on the American market and appear to sit somewhat at odds with figures compiled for the same region across the identical timeframe and published only weeks earlier.
Shipments Rose Even as Sales Slipped
According to the newest estimates, the US market recorded a 6 percent increase in total shipments compared with the close of last year’s second calendar quarter. Earlier in the month, however, US smartphone sales for Q2 2026 were reported to be 5 percent lower than the Q2 2025 total. Both figures can hold true simultaneously, because sales and shipments are distinct measures.
It is entirely possible that end users purchased fewer smartphones in the United States between April and June of this year than during the same period in 2025, while manufacturers shipped more units to carriers, retailers and other distributors. The reason lies in recent industry-wide component cost increases, which are expected to intensify in the coming months. By moving more stock now, companies such as Samsung and Apple are seeking to delay further price rises for as long as possible.
Apple Leads While Samsung Grows Fastest
Apple remains the dominant vendor, holding a substantial lead over its principal rival in both US sales and shipments. Even so, the Cupertino firm has seen its domestic share of smartphone shipments fall from 67 percent in Q4 2025 and 58 percent in Q1 2026 to 54 percent in the most recent quarter. That figure matches Apple’s standing between April and June 2025.
Samsung, meanwhile, improved across the board. Its 30 percent share of US smartphone shipments in Q2 2026 marked a gain not only on Q4 2025 and Q1 2026, but also on the 27 percent it held in Q2 2025. The driving force behind that rise was the Galaxy A17 5G. Samsung appears to be stockpiling its most affordable US handset, aware that a further price increase from around £185 would prove more damaging to overall regional sales than an equivalent rise on the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, S26 Ultra, Z Fold 8 or Z Fold 8 Ultra.
Among the remaining vendors, changes were marginal. Motorola’s US smartphone shipment share declined from 12 percent in Q2 2025 to 11 percent a year later, while Google recorded a modest gain over the same period.
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Image: phonearena.com
