Apple continues to strengthen its grip on the premium smartphone market. According to a new report from Counterpoint Research, the company captured 65% of global premium smartphone sales during the first half of 2026, helping the premium segment reach its highest share of the overall smartphone market to date.
The report defines premium smartphones as devices priced at US$600 and above. During the first six months of 2026, this segment accounted for 29% of all smartphone sales worldwide, up from 25% during the same period last year, marking a new record for the industry.
Apple extends its lead
Apple’s share of the premium smartphone market grew from 63% in the first half of 2025 to 65% in H1 2026. While that remains below the 74% it achieved in H1 2022, the company continues to dominate the segment by a wide margin.
Counterpoint Research attributes Apple’s 9% year-over-year growth to the strong performance of the iPhone 17 series, particularly the standard iPhone 17. The latest lineup helped Apple recover from last year’s slowdown, which the research firm says was largely caused by tougher competition in the Chinese market.
Samsung remained the second-largest premium smartphone brand, holding 19% of the market, unchanged from last year and slightly higher than its 17% share in H1 2022.
Why more people are buying premium phones
Counterpoint believes several industry trends are driving consumers toward more expensive smartphones.
One of the biggest factors is the continued rise in memory and component costs. As production costs increase, many mid-range Android smartphones are becoming more expensive, shrinking the price gap between upper mid-range devices and older flagship models.
That makes premium smartphones a more attractive upgrade, especially when buyers can get previous-generation flagships at discounted prices.
Manufacturers are also making flagship devices easier to afford by expanding financing plans, trade-in offers, and guaranteed buyback programs.
Samsung, for example, has expanded its Galaxy Forever upgrade program to additional markets, giving customers another way to purchase premium Galaxy devices through more flexible payment options.
Premiumization continues
Counterpoint expects the industry’s shift toward premium smartphones to continue.
The research firm says better component procurement, steady consumer demand, and wider availability of financing programs will continue encouraging buyers to move up to flagship devices instead of purchasing traditional mid-range smartphones.
This trend has become increasingly visible across the industry. Brands such as Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, HONOR, OPPO, and vivo have all been investing more heavily in premium flagship devices while introducing financing and trade-in programs to make them more accessible.
With flagship phones offering longer software support, better cameras, larger batteries, and more advanced AI features than ever before, many consumers appear increasingly willing to spend more upfront for devices they can keep for several years.
If current trends continue, premium smartphones could account for an even larger share of the global smartphone market in the coming years.