Mid-range handset gets chip, storage and MagSafe upgrades to offer more essential iOS features for less

By Che Pan and Laurie Chen BEIJING, March 19 (Reuters) - Apple posted a 23% surge in China smartphone sales in the first nine weeks of 2026, bucking a broader market decline as some Android phone makers raised prices in response to higher costs for memory chips.

TrendForce, which tracks global smartphone shipments and production, reports that Samsung’s production matched Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) last year. Total global smartphones reached 1.25 billion across the industry.

Apple and Samsung produced nearly the same number of smartphones in 2025, tying for the top position in global smartphone production, according to a new report from TrendForce. Global smartphone production reached approximately 1.