Huawei to be only Chinese brand growing smartphone shipments in 2026 amid memory price surge

Huawei is predicted to be the only Chinese smartphone brand to grow shipments in 2026, defying a memory chip price surge that is squeezing rivals like Xiaomi, according to a Counterpoint report. The market research firm projects global smartphone shipments will fall nearly 14% this year to about 1.08 billion units, the lowest since 2013, driven by soaring memory costs and weak consumer demand. Apple and Samsung are expected to weather the downturn best due to strong pricing power and premium portfolios, while other Chinese Android vendors including Oppo, Vivo, and Transsion face pressure from higher component costs affecting their price-sensitive products and emerging-market sales.