Middle East Smartphone Shipments Drop 19% to 10.6 Million as ASP Jumps 25%
Updated
Updated · Informa PLC · Aug 11
Middle East Smartphone Shipments Drop 19% to 10.6 Million as ASP Jumps 25%
3 articles · Updated · Informa PLC · Aug 11
Summary
10.6 million smartphone shipments in the Middle East excluding Turkey marked a 19% year-on-year drop in 2Q26, the region’s sharpest decline since 4Q25 as vendors accepted lower volumes to protect profitability.
Price hikes, supply constraints, geopolitical uncertainty and weaker consumer confidence hit the low end hardest: sub-$200 shipments plunged 42%, and Iraq—more exposed to entry-level demand—fell 36%.
Higher-priced devices held up far better, with shipments above $300 rising 16% and the premium segment above $800 reaching a record 1.9 million units for a second quarter; average selling prices climbed to $448.
Samsung kept the lead with 39% share despite a 7% decline, while HONOR grew 2% and Apple rose 1%; TRANSSION and Xiaomi, more reliant on entry-level buyers, dropped 40% and 50% respectively.
The UAE limited its decline to 7% with installment-backed upgrades, and Qatar grew 2%, underscoring how financing and steadier economies are helping premiumization reshape the regional market.