TrendForce says smartphone output fell 1.7% to 284m in Q1 2026

TL;DR
TrendForce said global smartphone production reached 284 million units in the first quarter of 2026, down 1.7% year over year. The firm said the effect of higher memory prices was limited in Q1 because manufacturers still had lower-cost inventory. TrendForce forecast 2026 smartphone production at 1.051 billion units, down 16.2% from 2025, and said the decline could deepen if memory prices stay high.

TrendForce said global smartphone production totaled 284 million units in January to March 2026, a 1.7% decline from the same period a year earlier. This was the firm's reported year-over-year change for first-quarter 2026 smartphone output.

TrendForce said rising memory prices had only a limited effect on first-quarter 2026 smartphone production because manufacturers were still using stockpiles of lower-cost memory. The report said those inventories are being gradually exhausted.

For full-year 2026, TrendForce forecast global smartphone production at 1.051 billion units, which would be 16.2% lower than in 2025. TrendForce also said the annual decline could become more pronounced if memory price increases remain elevated and brands face additional pressure.

Related questions

• What was TrendForce's estimate for global smartphone production in Q1 2026?
• Why did higher memory prices have limited impact in Q1 2026?
• What is TrendForce's full-year 2026 smartphone production forecast?
• What risk did TrendForce identify for a steeper decline in 2026?