Apple iPhone 17 turns out the best-selling smartphone globally in Q1 this year

06 May 2026, 10:00 by Sunita · KalingaTV

The Apple iPhone 17 was the best-selling smartphone globally in Q1 this year, according to data from Counterpoint. It represented an impressive 6% of all smartphones sold during the quarter. Just like in Q1 2025, its pricier siblings round out the Top 3 – the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the iPhone 17 Pro.

This year, the vanilla iPhone has a bigger lead over its Pro siblings. And the old iPhone 16 is still on the chart – it holds the #6 spot.

Meanwhile, the best-selling Android phone of the first three months of 2026 is the Samsung Galaxy A07 4G – yes, a 4G model. This phone proved popular in emerging markets like the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. There’s another Samsung LTE phone in the Top 10, the Galaxy A17 4G. Both phones promise 6 major OS updates, which will give them greater longevity, though their old modems may hold them back in 2031.

For what it’s worth, the 5G Galaxy A17 placed higher on the chart. The chart also highlights the importance of the A50 and A30 series with the Galaxy A56 and Galaxy A36 placing #7 and #8, respectively.

You may see a conspicuous absence – where’s the Galaxy S26 Ultra? Last year, the S25 Ultra was the sole Android flagship on the list. Don’t read too much into this, however. Counterpoint says that the S26 Ultra only narrowly missed making the Top 10, despite launching a month later (March 2026 vs. February 2025) – this means it only caught the tail end of Q1.

Xiaomi once again made the Top 10 list with a surprising model – the Redmi A5. This is one of the cheapest Android Go phones around and, like the A07, it’s a 4G model that was popular in emerging markets.

Also Read: Apple iPhone 18 Pro series tipped to receive a big camera upgrade