Apple's iPhone 17 was the best-selling smartphone globally in the first quarter of 2026, capturing 6 percent of worldwide unit sales, according to Counterpoint Research's latest Global Handset Model Sales Tracker.
The iPhone 17 series dominated the top three spots, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max in second place and the iPhone 17 Pro in third. The previous-generation iPhone 16 also held on at sixth place, suggesting there's still strong demand for the model, following its blockbuster sales run throughout last year.
Counterpoint senior analyst Harshit Rastogi credited the iPhone 17's success to upgrades that brought the base model closer to the Pro variants, including higher 256GB base storage, improved cameras, and a faster 120Hz display refresh rate. Not only did the iPhone 17 post double-digit year-over-year growth in China and the U.S., it also tripled its sales in South Korea for the quarter.
Samsung's Galaxy A series filled the remaining five spots, led by the budget-friendly Galaxy A07 4G as the best-selling Android phone of the quarter. Xiaomi's Redmi A5 filled out the list in tenth place.
Taken together, the top 10 devices accounted for 25% of global smartphone sales -- the highest first-quarter concentration ever recorded, according to Counterpoint. In the meantime, the standard iPhone 17 is set to enjoy a six-month-longer flagship run than usual, with the iPhone 18 expected to see a launch in spring 2027.
