Memory Crunch and Iran War Lead Phone Market Decline, IDC Says

The global smartphone market suffered its first decline since 2023 in the first quarter of this year, according to market tracker IDC, with the memory chip supply crunch and war in Iran likely to elevate costs and constrain growth further.

Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. were the only top-five brands to post growth, as each increased shipments by more than 3% while the overall market fell 4.1%, the researchers found. With roughly a fifth of overall shipments each, the two biggest companies are better positioned to secure long-term supply and handle surging costs than Chinese peers. Rivals from Oppo to Xiaomi Corp. saw shipments plummet this year, as component and logistical costs surged.