Smartphone Market 2026: Memory Supplies Run Out and Producers Cut Volumes

A new analysis by TrendForce confirms the slowdown in smartphone production. The memory crisis is being felt, and the number of units produced is decreasing, although with very different numbers depending on the brand. However, the analysis anticipates a drastic decline during 2026, which could end with many fewer units produced.

Q1 2026 Results

The data provided by TrendForce clearly confirms the difficulties in the market, even though the memory crisis will begin to have a greater impact only in the coming months. Overall, in the first quarter of 2026, 284 million units of smartphones were produced. The comparison with last year confirms a 1.7% decrease year-on-year.

The decline is mainly due to the remaining inventories of memory. Once the stocks are exhausted, considering the significantly higher costs, producers will need to revise their strategies.

Brand Data

The forecasts for 2026 are indeed very negative, with about 1.051 billion smartphones expected to be produced and a 16.2% decrease compared to the previous year. This is a significant number.

In the table below, it is possible to verify the production trends of smartphones for various brands. Compared to last year, there is a surprising 20% increase for Apple, which has reached 60.2 million units produced. Samsung also grows by 2%, while OPPO shows an 8% improvement. There is a significant decline for Xiaomi, which records a -38% decrease. The other two brands in the rankings, Vivo and Transsion, also see declines.