HONOR Becomes Middle East’s Second-Largest Smartphone Brand as Premium Push Accelerates

Thursday, 28 May 2026 at 03:07

HONOR is rapidly strengthening its position in global smartphone markets, with new data from Omdia showing the company became the second-largest smartphone vendor in the Middle East for the first time during the first quarter of 2026.

The milestone comes despite a difficult environment for the broader smartphone industr y. According to Omdia, the Middle East smartphone market excluding Turkey declined 6% year-over-year in Q1 2026, falling to 11 million units as weaker consumer confidence, inflation, rising smartphone prices, and geopolitical tensions weighed heavily on replacement demand.

HONOR Gains Ground as the Middle East Smartphone Market Slows

Even as the Middle East smartphone market slowed down, HONOR grew 73% year-over-year, according to Omdia. The company says the growth came from better store presence, wider availability, and stronger brand awareness across Gulf markets.

HONOR also saw strong results in the US$300–500 smartphone segment, reaching a 24% market share and getting close to Samsung. More people are now looking for phones with flagship features at lower prices, helping HONOR grow in the premium mid-range market.

The company says the HONOR 600 series saw double-digit growth in the “accessible flagship” segment, while the HONOR X9d passed 5 million overseas shipments and became a top seller in several regions, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

While Samsung remained the region’s top smartphone brand with a 34% market share, brands like Xiaomi and Transsion Holdings faced weaker demand in lower-cost segments as rising prices affected budget buyers.

Key Points Of Omdia's Report

HONOR became the second-biggest smartphone brand in the Middle East in Q1 2026.
HONOR grew 73% year-over-year even as the regional smartphone market declined.
The Middle East smartphone market, excluding Turkey, fell 6% year-over-year to 11 million units in Q1 2026, according to Omdia.
HONOR reached a 24% share in the US$300–500 smartphone segment, closing in on Samsung.
More buyers are now choosing premium mid-range phones with flagship features at lower prices.
The HONOR 600 series helped boost HONOR’s premium smartphone sales.
HONOR says the HONOR X9d sold more than 5 million units outside China.
The HONOR X9d became a top-selling smartphone in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Samsung stayed the top smartphone brand in the Middle East with a 34% market share.
Xiaomi and Transsion Holdings faced weaker demand in lower-cost smartphone categories.
Average smartphone prices in the region reached a record US$450 in Q1 2026.
Premium smartphones continued selling well in wealthier Gulf markets.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max was among the best-selling smartphones in the region during the quarter.
The upcoming HONOR Magic V6 will help expand HONOR’s premium and foldable smartphone lineup globally.
Omdia expects the Middle East smartphone market to decline further through 2026 due to rising prices and economic uncertainty.

The smartphone prices in the Middle East continued rising in Q1 2026, with the average selling price reaching a record US$450, up 15% year-over-year. According to Omdia, higher memory costs and price increases across smartphone lineups pushed prices higher across the region. Even with weaker market conditions, premium phones continued to sell well in wealthier Gulf countries. Omdia said the iPhone 17 Pro Max was among the region’s best-selling smartphones during the quarter, showing that demand for high-end devices remains strong.

HONOR is also focusing more on the premium market. The company confirmed that the upcoming HONOR Magic V6 will launch globally soon, helping expand its presence in flagship and foldable smartphones.

Read also

Omdia expects the Middle East smartphone market to decline further in 2026 due to rising prices, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions. Even so, HONOR continues to gain ground in higher-end smartphone segments while the overall market slows down.