Global Smartphone Shipments Forecast: Global smartphone shipments are expected to decline by 2.1% in 2026 due to rising memory costs from supply shortages, with Apple and Samsung projected to see declines of 2.2% and 2.1%, respectively.
Impact of Rising Costs: DRAM price surges have increased smartphone production costs significantly, with low-end models facing unsustainable price hikes, leading to potential reductions in low-end SKU volumes.
Market Positioning: Apple and Samsung are well-positioned to manage the upcoming challenges, while Chinese OEMs may struggle to balance market share and profit margins as costs rise.
Average Selling Prices: Counterpoint Research anticipates a 6.9% increase in average selling prices for smartphones in 2026, reflecting the ongoing cost pressures in the industry.
Wall Street analysts forecast AAPL stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for AAPL is 299.69 USD with a low forecast of 230.00 USD and a high forecast of 350.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
32 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast AAPL stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for AAPL is 299.69 USD with a low forecast of 230.00 USD and a high forecast of 350.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
19 Buy
11 Hold
2 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 247.650
Low
230.00
Averages
299.69
High
350.00
Current: 247.650
Low
230.00
Averages
299.69
High
350.00
BofA
upgrade
2026-01-21
New
Reason
BofA
Price Target
AI Analysis
2026-01-21
New
upgrade
Reason
BofA analysts added Merck (MRK) to the firm's "US 1 List" and renewed Apple (AAPL) on the list. The list represents BofA's best investment ideas.
UBS
Neutral
maintain
$280
2026-01-20
New
Reason
UBS
Price Target
$280
2026-01-20
New
maintain
Neutral
Reason
UBS keeps a Neutral rating and $280 price target on Apple ahead of its earnings. The firm says the company is expected to see "solid demand" for the iPhone 17 series and also cites its checks that suggest a slight pull-in in the December quarter ahead of rising memory costs that should drive December quarter iPhone unit sell-in up about 12%-13% to 84.5M - 85.0M units, the analyst tells investors in a research note. While aspects of the iPhone 17 technical specs supported solid demand initially at launch, the risk of higher memory costs likely led to slightly higher production and sell-through than expected late in the quarter, leading to upside, the firm added.
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Citi
Atif Malik
Buy
downgrade
$330 -> $315
2026-01-20
New
Reason
Citi
Atif Malik
Price Target
$330 -> $315
2026-01-20
New
downgrade
Buy
Reason
Citi analyst Atif Malik lowered the firm's price target on Apple to $315 from $330 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. The firm expects Apple to report a December quarter beat and in-line March quarter outlook. However, Citi reduced estimates for Apple to reflect higher memory component pricing risk. It still likes the shares for the advanced Siri and iPhone 18 foldable product cycles.
Evercore ISI
initiated
$330
2026-01-20
New
Reason
Evercore ISI
Price Target
$330
2026-01-20
New
initiated
Reason
Evercore ISI continues to have a positive stance on shares of Apple heading into the December-end quarter report due on January 29, telling investors that checks suggest that there's near-term upside to Street estimates. As such, the firm is adding Apple to its "Tactical Outperform" list ahead of earnings, adding that Apple remains the analyst's "Top Pick for CY26." The analyst, who views Apple as well positioned to sustain mid-to-high single digit top-line growth and double-digit EPS growth on the back of a strong product refresh cycle, has an Outperform rating and $330 price target on shares.
About AAPL
Apple Inc. designs, manufactures and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables and accessories, and sells a variety of related services. Its product categories include iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Wearables, Home and Accessories. Its software platforms include iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS. Its services include advertising, AppleCare, cloud services, digital content and payment services. The Company operates various platforms, including the App Store, that allow customers to discover and download applications and digital content, such as books, music, video, games and podcasts. It also offers digital content through subscription-based services, including Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, Apple News+, and Apple TV+. Its products include iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 15, iPhone 14, iPhone SE, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, Mac Pro, iPad Pro, iPad Air, AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro and others.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
