The US smartphone slump is hitting Android makers harder than Apple

Credit: Shimul Sood / Android Authority TL;DR Apple grew iPhone shipments by 1.3% in Q1 2026 even as the overall US smartphone market dropped 5.7%, according to Counterpoint Research. Android brands took a much bigger hit, with US smartphone sales falling 14.4% year over year. Samsung’s delayed Galaxy S26 launch left a premium phone gap in January and February, and Apple quickly capitalized on it, the research suggests.