iPhone 17 series was launched in global markets, including India, in September last year. The three models in the lineup, dubbed iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17, arrived with notable performance enhancements. However, Apple introduced the most significant improvements to the standard model over its predecessor by equipping the handset with a higher refresh rate screen, a dual 48-megapixel rear camera unit, and the same selfie camera as the Pro models. Months after its launch, a new market analysis report claims that the iPhone 17 was the best-selling smartphone globally in the first quarter (Q1) of the ongoing year.
Four Out of 10 Best-Selling Phones Globally in Q1 2026 Were iPhone Models
According to the latest Global Handset Model Sales Tracker report by Counterpoint Research, the newly launched iPhone 17 was the best-selling smartphone in Q1 2026, commanding a 6 percent market share globally. The standard model was followed by the other two models in the lineup, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro, with the two occupying the second and third positions, respectively.
The report also suggests that four out of the top 10 best-selling models globally were from the Cupertino-based tech giant, as the standard iPhone 16 took the sixth spot on Counterpoint Research’s Global Handset Model Sales Tracker in Q1 2026. Apart from Apple, two more smartphone makers featured on the list of the top 10 best-selling handsets.
While Apple took the top three spots, Samsung dominated the list with five of the top 10 selling phones belonging to the South Korea-based tech conglomerate. However, only the budget and mid-range models from the tech giant appeared on the list. The Samsung Galaxy A07 4G took the third spot, followed by the Galaxy A17 5G.
Last year’s Galaxy A56, Galaxy A36, and the Galaxy A17 4G occupied the seventh, eighth, and ninth positions on the tracker, respectively.
Launched in February this year, the flagship Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra “narrowly missed” a spot in the top 10 list of best-selling smartphones, according to the Counterpoint Research report. The smartphone reportedly registered stronger initial sales compared to its predecessor.
The only other brand to appear on the list was the Xiaomi sub-brand’s Redmi A5, taking the 10th position in Q1 globally. The Redmi handset was also the most affordable one on the list, which reportedly saw a “sustained demand” since its launch in different emerging markets.
