The Zhitong Finance App learned that according to Counterpoint Research's latest “Global Mobile Phone Model Sales Tracking”, the Apple iPhone 17 became the world's best-selling smartphone in the second quarter of 2026, accounting for 6% of global smartphone sales. Apple (AAPL.US) and Samsung each had 5 models in the top ten, accounting for 26% of global smartphone sales, an increase of 2% over the previous year. Despite an 11% decline in the overall market, brands are shifting their focus to high-end and flagship models in response to the global RAM shortage, and the sales contribution rate of the top ten models remains high.
The market share of the top ten best-selling smartphones in the world
Source: Counterpoint Research Global Phone Model Sales Tracking Report, June 2026
Referring to Apple's performance, Counterpoint Research senior analyst Karn Chauhan said, “Despite the overall market decline, Apple sales increased 5% year over year. Driven by the iPhone 17 series, iPhone sales in India, Japan, and the Middle East and Africa all increased in the second quarter of 2026, and almost doubled in Korea. The basic iPhone 17 closed the gap with a major upgrade to the Pro model, and remains the best-selling smartphone in the world this quarter. At the same time, strong high-end market demand is driving sales of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, and trade-in programs, promotions, and more flexible installment plans have lowered the consumer's purchase threshold. The rise in smartphone prices has also prompted consumers to switch to high-end products, further strengthening Apple's competitive position.”
At the same price as last year, the iPhone 17e has added MagSafe features and increased in-body storage capacity, helping Apple continue to perform strongly in the list. Like the previous generation, the iPhone 17e continues to be popular in the US and Japan markets, benefiting from operator promotions.
Referring to the Galaxy S26 series, Counterpoint Research senior analyst Harshit Rastogi said, “The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the best-selling Android smartphone. This is also the first time that an ultra-high-end Android device led Android phone sales in the June quarter. At the same time, compared to the Galaxy S25 series, the Galaxy S26 series was released later, which prompted more sales to focus on the second quarter. The Galaxy S26 Ultra outperformed the previous generation, accounting for more than half of the series's sales. The industry's first privacy display and enhanced AI features set it apart from other products in its class. Samsung has further increased its investment in flagship smartphones to ease the downward pressure on revenue in the face of rising costs by increasing promotions and strategically allocating resources.”
Samsung's entry-level and mid-range Galaxy A series smartphones continue to be popular with consumers due to their affordability, broad market coverage, and excellent value for money. Notably, all of the top ten Galaxy A series models have 6 years or more of software support to adapt to increasingly extended switching cycles.