Apple and Samsung dominate the high-end mobile segment

(Dan Tri) - According to a report from Counterpoint Research, the global high-end smartphone segment (with an average selling price of over 600 USD) still maintains steady growth in the first half of 2026.

Specifically, sales increased by 5% compared to the same period last year. At the same time, the high-end segment's share of total global smartphone sales has reached a record high of 29%. This is up from 25% in the first half of 2025 and 20% in the first half of 2022.

Apple and Samsung are two brands that hold the majority of market share in the high-end mobile segment (Photo: PhoneArena)

The report said that the increase in market share of the high-end segment mainly came from the increased cost of memory components, causing a more severe impact on the low-cost and mid-range segments.

For the high-end mobile segment, manufacturers are better able to absorb this cost thanks to high profit margins and cutting incentive programs. This contributes to maintaining demand despite challenging market conditions. Besides, users also tend to upgrade to high-end phones.

"The rising costs of components and memory have reshaped smartphone pricing and created an opportunity for manufacturers to accelerate premiumization. As prices of mid-range Android smartphones increase, the price gap with high-end devices gradually narrows.

This trend makes high-end phones a better choice for consumers. To support this change, manufacturers are expanding financial support programs, exchanging old for new and buying back to improve affordability," said senior analyst Harshit Rastogi.

In the first half of 2026, Apple recorded a 9% year-on-year growth thanks to the strong performance of the iPhone 17 series. In particular, the standard version contributed greatly to this success.

Apple's market share in the high-end segment has decreased to 65% in the first half of 2026. The company once reached 74% market share in the first half of 2022. The main reason comes from fierce competition in the Chinese market when brands such as Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO and vivo continuously create pressure with new products.

Samsung also recorded a growth of 3% over the same period last year. The Korean technology giant holds a 19% market share in the high-end segment despite the late launch of the Galaxy S26 series. In particular, the Ultra version contributes more than half of the sales of the Galaxy S26 series.

Apple and Samsung alone account for 84% of the market share in the high-end smartphone segment. The remaining 16% belongs to smartphone manufacturers from China.

Chinese mobile brands are also continuously increasing pressure in the high-end segment (Photo: The Anh).

OPPO recorded a growth rate of 69%, the highest in the segment. The Find X9 product line has become the main growth driver to help the company promote development in the high-end segment.

Meanwhile, vivo grew 20% over the same period last year. The vivo X300 series outperformed its predecessor in the first half of the year.

Premiumization will be a key strategy in the smartphone industry as the focus shifts from factory throughput to maximizing value and profits. Manufacturers are targeting higher price segments to protect profit margins in a challenging market.

On the other hand, longer replacement cycles are pushing consumers to invest in high-end devices for longer life. Apple and Samsung will continue to lead in the high-end segment, thanks to their solid positions in developed markets, ecosystems and brand value," Karn Chauhan, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, shared.