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2026

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Latest industry data has revealed that over 50% of Nigerians are either Samsung or iPhone users, reflecting the purchasing power of Nigerians and brand perception despite the high cost of these smartphones.&nbsp;
According to the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) report titled “<a href="https://ncc.gov.ng/sites/default/files/2026-05/Device-Model-Adoption-%26-Performance-Benchmarking.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Device Model Adoption and Performance Benchmarking</a>”, the breakdown shows that 37.8% of Nigerians are active Samsung users, while 21.4% possess an iPhone. Others in the top 5 list are Tecno, Xiaomi and Huawei.&nbsp;
Samsung maintained the top position after a slight 1.2% drop compared to the 39% of Nigerians who used the brand as of August 2025. Apple also followed the same trend, after falling 4% compared to the 25.4% of Nigerians using iPhones in August.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img width="1075" height="589" src="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Samsung-iPhone.jpg" alt="Nigerians are either Samsung or iPhone users">
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For Tecno and Xiaomi, they saw a significant shift in adoption even though they are topped by Samsung and Apple. Tecno phones users increased by 3.3 percentage points from 10.9% in August to 14.2% in March 2026. Same story for Xiaomi, which now holds a 7.8% market share in Nigeria.
Huawei, occupying the fifth spot, slipped by 1 percentage point, with 7% now using its devices compared to 8% in August 2025.
While status-based phones maintained the top spot, the fact that Tecno and Xiaomi products have increased in user base reflects consumer demand for feature-rich and affordable phones.&nbsp;
In addition, it reveals that more people are coming online, beating the digital divide, by possessing pocket-friendly smartphones that allow them to do basic activities online.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://technext24.com/2026/04/21/55000-4g-smartphones-weak-sustainability/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Unsustainable plan for $40 4G smartphones may leave 960 million Africans unconnected</a>.
<h4 id="the-5g-drivers-in-nigeria" class="wp-block-heading">The 5G drivers&nbsp;in Nigeria</h4>
As most brands battle to capture Nigerians’ attention, some products stood out as having a strong appetite for 5G-capable technology.&nbsp;
According to the report, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro 5G remains the single most adopted device model across all major network operations. The smartphone recorded a total adoption of 125,444. NCC noted that the data was generated based on the number of Speedtest data.&nbsp;
Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G follows at a distance with 47,302 adoption, mainly used with MTN, Globacom and Airtel. Xiaomi’s Redmi 14C and 13C accounted for 46,237 tests, revealing the growing adoption of the brand.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img width="600" height="300" src="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/5G-enabled-smartphone.jpg" alt="5G-enabled smartphone">
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Also, iPhone 14 Pro Max recorded 40,261 tests while Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra accumulated 39,321 adoption.&nbsp;
While overall adoption shows an encouraging behavioural pattern of Nigerians towards smartphones, it again reflects the spending patterns and growing demand for high-end devices.&nbsp;

More than half of Nigerians use either a Samsung or iPhone as of March 2026

Technext.ng

Other articles published on May 6, 2026

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