The global smartphone market may be heading into a reality check in 2026, as surging memory costs threaten to stall recent shipment gains across key regions like Europe and Latin America.
According to the latest reports from Counterpoint Research, the European and Latin American smartphone markets finished 2025 with distinct growth patterns, though both face a challenging 2026.
Europe: Apple and HONOR Surge
Europe's smartphone market ended 2025 on a high note, with shipments rising 2% year-over-year in the final quarter.
Apple Inc.
The iPhone 17 series drove 7% growth in shipments, particularly amid strong demand in Eastern Europe.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Its shipments grew by 4%, marking a recovery from a weaker performance in late 2024.
The standout growth came from HONOR, which saw shipments rise 18% as it continued its aggressive expansion across Western Europe.
Increased competition from Apple and Samsung ate into Xiaomi Corp.'s
Meanwhile, the OPPO family (including realme and OnePlus) continued to face difficulties in the region.
Counterpoint Associate Director Jan Stryjak noted that while Europe's smartphone market delivered a relatively solid performance in 2025-with Apple and Samsung posting growth and brands like HONOR, Motorola and Google
Entry-level and mid-range segments are likely to face the greatest pressure, with shipments projected to decline year over year in the coming quarters.
Latin America: Samsung Dominates the Budget Tier
In Latin America, affordability remained the primary driver of the market throughout 2025, with Samsung maintaining a commanding lead.
The Samsung Galaxy A06 4G emerged as the region's best-selling smartphone, holding the #1 spot for 11 months and accounting for 7% of total market sales.
Samsung claimed four of the top 10 spots on the bestseller list, joined by Motorola and Xiaomi.
Highlighting the region's price sensitivity, the top 10 models represented 33% of all sales, with the majority priced below $200.
Despite the global push for 5G, 8 of the top 10 models in Latin America were 4G devices.
Only the Moto G35 5G and Galaxy A56 5G managed to break into the top rankings, proving that 4G remains the dominant technology for the region's entry-level and mid-range segments.
In Latin America, increasing memory prices are expected to push smartphone prices higher, extending replacement cycles and dampening overall demand, particularly in lower-priced tiers.
However, the shift may also accelerate 5G adoption in 2026, as consumers show a growing willingness to spend more on feature-rich devices offering improved cameras, larger batteries, bigger displays, and 5G connectivity.
