Chinese brand captures 15% of Mideast phone market despite regional sales slump

HONOR emerged as the only major smartphone manufacturer to record significant growth in the Middle East during the first half of 2026, even as the regional market contracted by 13 per cent. Data released on Monday, 24 August by research firm Omdia shows the Chinese brand’s shipments rose 35 per cent year-on-year, elevating it to the second-largest smartphone vendor in the region. Market contraction hits major players The Middle East smartphone market faced a sharp downturn in the second quarter (Q2) of 2026, with total shipments falling to 10.6 million units from 13.1 million in the same period last year—a 19 per cent decline. While market leader Samsung saw shipments drop 7 per cent to 4.1 million units, other brands suffered steeper losses. Xiaomi shipments plummeted 50 per cent, while Transsion recorded a 40 per cent decline. Apple was the only other top-tier brand to show resilience, with a marginal 1 per cent increase in Q2 shipments to 1.1 million devices. HONOR climbs to second place Despite the broader market volatility, HONOR maintained a shipment volume of 1.3 million devices in Q2 2026, securing a 13 per cent market share. For the full first half of the year, the company’s market share reached 15 per cent, up from 10 per cent in the first half of 2025. This growth follows a particularly strong start to the year when the company reported a 73 per cent surge in shipments during the first quarter. The firm attributed its performance to a diversified product…