Southeast Asian Smartphone Market Contracts 9%, Samsung Sole Gainer

Market research firm Omdia has released its latest data on the Southeast Asian smartphone market for the first quarter of 2026 (January to March). Overall, total smartphone shipments in the region reached 21.6 million units, a 9% decline compared to the same period in 2025 when shipments stood at 23.7 million units. Omdia’s report also listed the top five smartphone brands by shipment volume for Q1 2026. Samsung secured the top position with 4.6 million units shipped, holding a 21% market share in Southeast Asia. Omdia noted Samsung’s shipments grew 4% year-on-year, supported by strong performance of its flagship Galaxy S26 series and solid sales of its mid-range Galaxy A Series. Samsung was the only smartphone vendor to record growth year-on-year. The other four vendors below Samsung — Oppo, Xiaomi, Transsion (which includes Infinix, Tecno, and Itel), and Vivo — all experienced shipment declines. This impacted their market shares in Southeast Asia for Q1 2026. It is important to note that Omdia’s data uses sell-in shipment methodology, not sell-out. This means the figures reflect devices shipped by vendors to distributors, retailers, or sales channels, not units sold to end consumers. The average price of smartphones rose 19% year-on-year, up from below US$300 (approximately £240 or Rp5.3 million). According to Omdia, the price surge was driven by higher costs for memory components such as DRAM and NAND, which increased smartphone production costs. The impact was most pronounced in the entry-level and mid-range segments, where memory components represent a significant portion of costs. Due to cost pressures, vendors have taken measures such as raising device prices, reducing certain specifications, or tightening product supply to maintain profit margins.