Apple's iPhone 16 is the world's best-selling smartphone in 2025
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This performance was thanks to Apple's iPhone 16.
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| File photo: iPhone 16 |
Apple and Samsung continue dominating the top 10
Apple dominated last year's smartphone sales, according to Counterpoint Research’s Global Handset Model Sales Tracker.
The latest report said that Apple’s iPhone 16 was the best-selling smartphone globally in 2025.
Apple maintained a strong presence in the Top 10 rankings, with the iPhone 16 leading and further widening the gap with the next positions, Research Analyst Harshit Rastogi said.
According to the expert, the iPhone 17 series achieved 16 percent higher sales than the predecessor series during its first full quarter in the market, driven by strong initial demand in key markets such as the US, China, and Western Europe. The base iPhone 17 model has been the standout performer this year, offering significant upgrades like a higher refresh rate, increased RAM, and larger base storage, bringing it closer than ever to the Pro variants.
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| Counterpoint Research Data |
The new iPhone 16e also resulted in additional sales. Japan and the US remained the key markets for the model with consistent sales.
Overall, Apple and Samsung dominated the Top 10 list for the fourth consecutive year.
Samsung captured three spots in the list with the Galaxy A16 5G becoming the best-selling Android smartphone of 2025, while the earlier-than-expected refresh of the Galaxy A17 5G resulted in slightly lower sales for the A16 5G.
Samsung’s S series secured a spot in the list for the second consecutive year, reflecting the brand's continued focus on its flagship lineup. The Galaxy S25 Ultra improved its regional share, growing more than 3x YoY in Japan and achieving double‑digit growth in India, Senior Analyst Karn Chauhan said.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has narrowed the sales share gap with Samsung’s best-selling A series despite the significant price contrast.
For 2026, Counterpoint said the memory shortage is forecasted to extensively impact entry-to-mid-segment smartphones, the sales of which remain highly concentrated in emerging markets like the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America.
As a result, the flagship smartphones are expected to further increase their presence and sales contribution to the overall market. While replacement cycles are expected to grow, financing, trade-ins, and the refurbished market are likely to alleviate the stress, it added.
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Source: Counterpoint Research
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