Samsung’s Galaxy – Apple benefited from Samsung’s later-than-usual Galaxy S26 launch, helping iPhone demand rise as the overall US smartphone market declined. Pricing moves and rising memory-chip costs also set up a tougher year for Android rivals.
Apple’s iPhone 17 has been gaining traction in the US while the broader smartphone market cools, and a key reason sits with Samsung’s timing.
In the first quarter. Apple’s iPhone sales volume in the US rose 1.3% year over year. even as the broader smartphone market fell 5.7%. according to Counterpoint Research.. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 launch arrived later than its typical January rhythm. landing on March 11 instead. giving Apple an early lead in the quarter.
The Galaxy S26 delay shifted expectations built from last year’s pattern. The Galaxy S25 was unveiled in January and went on sale in February, while the S26 series moved from a usual January release to March 11, Counterpoint Research said.
One consequence of that calendar gap was immediate, with the analyst framing it as a window Apple could fill.. “When one brand delays a flagship launch. it opens a window of opportunity to fill that vacuum. ” Tyler Graham. senior analyst at Counterpoint Research. said in a statement.. “Apple did just that.”
Apple’s momentum has also been tied to its product cycle since iPhone 17 launched in September. The company described last year’s holiday quarter for iPhone demand as “historic,” and said the strength carried into the March quarter, with 22% growth in iPhone sales.
Consumer pressure beyond product launches has been part of the weaker market picture, with economic challenges for consumers contributing to the overall declines in the US smartphone market during the period, Counterpoint Research said.
Pricing has been another battleground.. Apple kept the iPhone 17e. its entry-level phone. at $599—matching the price of the iPhone 16e before it—while also adding 256 gigabytes of additional storage.. Samsung, by contrast, raised prices on the Galaxy S26 base and Plus models by $100 from the previous lineup.. Samsung also phased out the entry-level phone with 128 gigabytes of storage.
The price moves are arriving as memory costs climb for electronics makers. Apple CEO Tim Cook has not publicly committed to whether the company would raise prices due to the memory shortage. Still, Apple said in April it expects “significantly higher memory costs” for the June quarter.
Counterpoint Research suggests Apple’s next test is whether it can hold its edge without letting costs force changes at the checkout.. “If Apple can avoid significant price increases and continue to outpace its peers in promotional dollars. it will be tough for Android OEMs to keep up in the year ahead. ” Counterpoint wrote.
The pattern is tied together by timing and tradeoffs: Samsung’s March 11 release date for the Galaxy S26 came after a January-to-February rhythm for the Galaxy S25. and that delay lined up with Apple’s 1.3% year-over-year iPhone sales volume growth in the US during a quarter when the overall market dropped 5.7%. while iPhone demand accelerated further with 22% growth in the March quarter.
For now. Apple’s lead rests on a mix of demand and discipline—strong iPhone performance since the iPhone 17 launch in September. a hold on entry-level pricing at $599 for the iPhone 17e. and the market opening created by Samsung pushing its flagship out of the usual schedule.. Samsung is dealing with a different set of pressures. including higher memory-related costs and pricing changes across its Galaxy S26 lineup.
Apple iPhone 17 iPhone 17e Samsung Galaxy S26 smartphone market Counterpoint Research memory costs pricing