Smartphone processor shipments drop 21% as Apple narrows gap with Qualcomm

Smartphone processor shipments fell 21% year-over-year in Q3 2026 due to rising DRAM and NAND costs, shrinking the market as consumers delay upgrades and manufacturers cut inventories. MediaTek remains the leader but dropped from 34% to 28% market share, while Qualcomm fell from 25% to 22%. Samsung gained two points to 8% via in-house Exynos chips, and Apple rose four points to 21%, nearly matching Qualcomm. Counterpoint Research forecasts RAM prices to rise another 5% in Q4, with continued increases next year, potentially shrinking the smartphone market by 3-4% in 2027.