From Mashable · Alex Perry · · 30s
Smartphone Sales Hit 14-Year Low
Global smartphone sales drop 20% as memory prices surge.
In brief
Global smartphone sales drop 20% as memory prices surge. Global smartphone shipments fell 20% year-over-year in Q3 2026, hitting the lowest level since 2012 due to rising memory costs. Originally reported by Mashable.
Global smartphone shipments
Global smartphone shipments dropped 20 percent year-over-year in Q3 2026.
Lowest sales level since 2012
Shipments hit the lowest level measured since 2012, when smartphones were less common.
Memory prices disrupt production
Relentless increases in memory prices significantly disrupted shipments from Samsung and Apple.
In short
Global smartphone shipments fell 20% year-over-year in Q3 2026, hitting the lowest level since 2012 due to rising memory costs.
