Nigeria’s smartphone market is undergoing a noticeable shift as consumer behaviour changes and network realities reshape device usage across the country. A new benchmarking report from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), powered by Ookla, shows that mid-range smartphones are increasingly challenging premium devices in both performance and popularity. At the same time, 5G adoption remains significantly low despite strong performance advantages.
The report reveals that Samsung and Apple still dominate the Nigerian device ecosystem but are gradually losing market share. As of March 2026, Samsung holds 37.8%, down slightly from 39% in 2025, while Apple declined more sharply from 25.4% to 21.4%. Meanwhile, brands like Tecno and Xiaomi are gaining ground as Nigerians increasingly opt for affordable but capable smartphones. Tecno rose to 14.2% market share, while Xiaomi grew to 7.8%, reflecting a shift toward value-driven purchasing decisions.
Device-level data also highlights changing consumer preferences. The Huawei Mate 40 Pro 5G remains one of the most tested devices in the country, while Apple’s Pro Max series continues to dominate the premium segment. However, Xiaomi’s Redmi 14C and 13C models have emerged as popular everyday devices in 2026. Interestingly, performance data challenges traditional assumptions, with mid-range phones like the Nothing Phone (2) recording faster median download speeds of 249.3 Mbps, outperforming several flagship models.
Despite these performance gains, Nigeria’s 5G adoption remains very low at just 3.7% of active devices. The report shows that users who switch from 4G to 5G on MTN experience speed improvements of up to 561%, proving the technology’s potential impact. However, affordability challenges and limited infrastructure continue to slow widespread adoption, even as operators expand their 5G networks.
Regionally, the South West leads Nigeria’s digital performance landscape with the highest 5G penetration at 18.5% and the fastest median download speeds of 20.86 Mbps. In contrast, the North East lags behind with 14.47 Mbps speeds and only 11.1% 5G penetration. The report also highlights a growing urban-rural digital divide, where urban users enjoy speeds 1.45 times faster than rural users, alongside lower latency levels.
Overall, the findings suggest a rapidly evolving smartphone ecosystem in Nigeria, where affordability, performance efficiency, and network availability are reshaping consumer choices. Analysts expect that as infrastructure improves and device prices become more accessible, 5G adoption could rise significantly by late 2026, potentially narrowing the performance gap across regions and user segments.
source: The Guardian