iPhone Shipments Surge Across Latin America

iPhone 17 demand helped Apple post a 31% year-over-year increase in Latin America iPhone shipments during Q1 2026.

The growth came from a smaller base than the region’s leading Android brands, but it gave Apple the strongest annual shipment gain among the top smartphone vendors tracked in the report.

Apple Gains Share From A Premium Position

Apple shipped 1.8 million iPhones in Latin America during Q1 2026, taking 5% market share.

That placed Apple fifth in the regional smartphone market. Samsung remained first with 12.9 million units and 37% share, followed by Xiaomi with 6 million units and 17% share.

Motorola ranked third with 4.9 million units and 14% share, while HONOR reached fourth place with 3.4 million units and 10% share.

Mexico Was Apple’s Strongest Market

Mexico was the key driver for Apple’s growth in the quarter. iPhone shipments in the country rose 80% year over year, helped by demand for the iPhone 17 series.

Apple reached third place in Mexico with 16% share. In Brazil, Apple ranked fifth with 5% share.

The report noted that Brazil and Mexico were the only two major Latin American smartphone markets where Apple appeared among the top vendors.

Latin America Smartphone Shipments Grew Slowly

Total smartphone shipments in Latin America reached 34.8 million units in Q1 2026, up 3% year over year.

The wider market was affected by memory component shortages and higher memory costs, which reduced supply and availability for more affordable smartphones.

Those cost pressures are expected to become more visible in retail prices from late Q2, especially for phones priced below $300.

Why This Matters For iPhone Buyers

Apple’s position is different from many competitors in the region because the iPhone mainly competes above the most price-sensitive tiers.

That gives the iPhone 17 series a clearer role in the premium smartphone segment, even as lower-cost Android phones face tighter component costs.

For buyers using an iPhone 17 or another recent iPhone model, Komodoty offers iPhone cases and accessories at https://komodoty.com/collections/iphone-cases.