In the fourth quarter of 2025, Apple reached a historic record of 69% smartphone market share in the United States (+4 points in one year), capturing all of the meager market growth (+1%) while Samsung fell to 13%.
Financial results for the first fiscal quarter of 2026 confirm Apple’s expansion in the United States, with data for the fourth quarter of 2025 indicating a market share of 69%. Driven by operator subsidies and volumes of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, this increase of 4 points over one year contrasts with Samsung’s decline to 13%.
Market segmentation and saturation via operators
Data released by Counterpoint Research highlights a divergence in OEM performance, despite overall US market growth limited to 1% year-on-year. The 69% share held by Apple suggests a transition towards a virtual monopolization of the premium segment in this territory. Carrier statistics support this trend: AT&T reports that 89% of its total smartphone sales are for iOS devices.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max establishes itself as the highest volume smartphone among AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, the three major US carriers. This predominance indicates a correlation between the depreciation structures (trade-in) offered by operators and the adoption of high-priced equipment. Apple’s performance is based on vertical integration and immediate inventory availability at the fourth quarter launch, where the competition saw its shares shrink.
A very juicy last quarter of 2025
Apple’s fiscal first quarter 2026 revenue of $143.756 billion is directly tied to the fourth calendar quarter hardware cycle, with iPhone sales accounting for more than 50% of that total. Conversely, Samsung’s market share contraction to 13% signals a cyclical trough in the premium Android segment, predating the release of the Galaxy S26 series.
The South Korean manufacturer is expected to use the first quarter of 2026 for the launch of the S26, relying on pricing incentives for early adopters and the renewal of its foldable range later in the year. The technical and commercial objective will be to stabilize the installed base in the face of the continued erosion observed in Q4 2025.
Component costs and pricing strategy 2026
In the short term, the introduction of the iPhone 17e targets the mid-range segment. For the future generation iPhone 18, scheduled for the third quarter of 2026, the industry is monitoring the evolution of DRAM prices. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo projects that Apple will absorb these component increases rather than passing them on to the end consumer.
This strategy of maintaining prices despite semiconductor inflation is made possible by the Services division. With quarterly revenue of $30.013 billion and higher gross margins than hardware, this sector helps subsidize the growing production costs of hardware to maintain market share.
