Latin America’s smartphone market declined 12% year-over-year (YoY) in 2Q 2026 to 30.3 million units, according to Omdia‘s latest analysis. Rising DRAM and NAND costs fed through to retail prices, weighing most heavily on demand for entry-level devices. Vendors and channels had partially cushioned the impact in 1Q through front-loaded shipments and inventory buffers. These protections weakens in 2Q, exposing greater pressure at the lower end of the market, while mid-range, high-range and premium segments remained more resilient.
Top smartphone vendors in Latin America, 2Q 2026
Samsung remained Latin America’s largest smartphone vendor, shipping 12.0 million units, up 9% YoY, and increasing its share to 39%, the highest level since 1Q22. Growth was led by the entry-level Galaxy A07 and A17 and mid-range A37 and A57, supported by Samsung’s relatively lower exposure to memory component shortages and strong channel relationships.
Xiaomi ranked second with 4.9 million units and a 16% market share, with shipments declining 27% YoY. Its high-end and premium segments reached a record 14% of its sales mix, although these gains were outweighed by declines across price bands below US$500, which continued to account for 85% of its sales.
Motorola ranked third with 4.4 million units and a 14% market share, following a 15% YoY decline in shipments. Its high-end and premium portfolio grew 46%, led by the Edge 70 and Razr 70 series, although growth in these segments was not enough to offset declines across the rest of its portfolio.
HONOR, ranked fourth with 2.0 million units and a 6.5% market share. with shipments declining 32% YoY. This marked the vendor’s first contraction since its official launch in the region in 4Q 2021. Declines across most price bands outweighed growth from entry-level models, including the Play 10 and X5c, as well as a greater contribution from high-end devices. High-end smartphones accounted for 12% of HONOR’s sales mix, driven by the Magic 8 and HONOR 600 series.
TRANSSION returned to fifth place with 2.0 million units and a 6.4% share, despite a 19% YoY decline in shipments. The vendor continued to reduce its reliance on entry-level devices and expanded its presence in the US$200–US$500 segment, which now accounts for 32% of its total shipments. Growth in this price band was led by the Infinix Hot 70, Note 60 and Edge series.
“The current environment is testing vendors’ ability to adapt, from managing supply chain risks and reducing exposure to lower-end segments to refining their product portfolios and strengthening channel relationships,” said Mr. Miguel Ángel Pérez, Senior Analyst at Omdia.
Shifts towards higher-prices smartphones accelerates
The changing market structure was particularly visible across price bands in 2Q 2026. Shipments of smartphones priced below US$100 fell 72% YoY, sharply reducing the segment’s contribution into both volume and value. The US$100–US$300 segment declined 6% but remained the region’s largest volume segment, accounting for 61% of shipments. Smartphones priced above US$500 increase their share to 18% of total shipments and generated 51% of the region’s smartphone market value. Widening access to financing is supporting the shift toward higher-value devices. Vendors are increasingly focused on strengthening their value proposition in the mid-range while using discounts, bundles, interest-free installments, trade-in programs and leasing options to improve accessibility of premium devices.
Central America recorded one of the steepest smartphone market declines in Latin America in 2Q 2026. After several years of steady growth, the subregion became Latin America’s third-largest smartphone market in 2024. Its high exposure to lower-priced devices left it particularly vulnerable to the latest market pressures. Smartphones priced below- US$300 accounted for 84% of shipments in 2025, contributing to a 22% YoY contraction in 2Q 2026 as demand for lower-priced devices weakened sharply.
Omdia now forecasts Latin American’s smartphone market to decline 16% in 2026 compared with 2025, with the contraction expected to deepen in the second half of the year. Entry-level devices will face continued pressure from higher prices and constrained specifications, with competition also intensifying across the mid-range and upper mid-range segments.
The impact of rising prices was already evident in 2Q 2026, where the region’s average selling price (ASP) increased 25% YoY. With bill of materials (BOM) configurations and product references (SKUs) for the remainder of the year already largely defined, fluctuations in memory costs are unlikely to reverse the projected decline in the second half of the year. Customer response to higher smartphone prices and the resulting increase in ASP will therefore be a key factor in shaping market performance.
As sales channels tightening inventory controls and consumers become more cautious about device purchases, vendor performance will increasingly depend on disciplined sell-in, targeted promotions and operational excellence at the point of sale. Clear product messaging and execution across retailers and operators, supported by digital strategies, will also be critical to converting consumer demand into sales.
Covered By: Mobility India / Omdia
If you have an interesting Article / Report/case study to share, please get in touch with us at editors@roymediative.com, roy@roymediative.com, 9811346846/9625243429.
 in 2Q 2026 to 30.3 million units, according to Omdia's latest analysis.){kind=link}