iPhone 17 emerged as the world’s best-selling phone in Q1, 2026, according to the latest data from Counterpoint Research. iPhones also continued their dominance, securing the top three spots.
Besides the iPhones, several budget and mid-range Android phones made it to the list, with flagship models missing entirely.
iPhone 17 sold like hotcakes in Q1, 2026
iPhones consistently rank among the best-selling phones each quarter and year. With the iPhone 17 being the most popular iPhone lineup ever in Apple’s history, it’s no surprise that the iPhone 17 outsold every other phone in Q1, 2026.
Compared to its predecessor, the iPhone 17 packs some notable upgrades, including a 120Hz ProMotion display and longer battery life. Plus, despite the ongoing DRAM and NAND shortage, the phone did not get any price hike, offering more value for money.
The iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro captured the top three spots in the list of the best-selling phones in Q1 2026. The iPhone 16 was the only other iPhone to make it to the list, occupying the sixth spot.
Photo: Counterpoint Research
As per Counterpoint’s senior analyst Harshit Rastogi, iPhone 17 registered double-digit growth in markets like China and the US. In South Korea, it saw an even bigger 3x growth.
Counterpoint’s data shows that the top 10 smartphones accounted for 25% of smartphone sales worldwide in Q1, 2026 — the highest share ever recorded.
Samsung’s low-end Galaxy devices lead Android’s charge
Besides iPhones, Samsung’s Galaxy A phones dominated the list, occupying five spots. However, all of them were budget or mid-range models. Xiaomi was the only other brand to make it to the list, with the Redmi A5 coming in at the 10th spot.
Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra “narrowly” missed making it to the top 10 list. The report mentions Samsung is seeing strong demand for its newest flagship compared to the S25 Ultra.
Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and Apple’s ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
