Top 10 Most Selling Phones in the World (2026 Edition)

Another lap around the sun, another pile-up of “best phone 2026” lists, yet the global leaderboard still looks surprisingly familiar. The biggest change is not a new brand stealing the crown. It is the calendar. As of January 2026, the most complete, model-level sales ranking we have is for full-year 2025, and it reads like a two-name duet: Apple and Samsung.

According to Counterpoint’s latest model ranking, the iPhone 16 finished 2025 as the world’s best-selling smartphone, and Apple and Samsung again owned every spot in the global top 10.
That dominance happened even as the market kept stretching in two directions: people financed their way into premium flagships, while value buyers grabbed affordable A-series Galaxies in huge volumes.

Apple also reshuffled its lineup. The current iPhone range highlights iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and a thin iPhone Air model, while last year’s iPhone 16 remains on sale at a lower price.Consumers kept googling “best selling phone 2026” and “top selling smartphones right now”, only to discover that familiarity is the point. What is even happening?

Instead of guessing based on early-quarter chatter, 2026 starts with a clean headline from the year we just finished: global smartphone shipments rose 2% in 2025, with Apple leading the market at 20% share and Samsung close behind at 19%.

Two forces continued to create the “barbell” effect:

• Ultra-premium surge. Financing plans and trade-in programs made four-figure flagships feel reachable, especially in the U.S., China, and Western Europe.
• Entry-level resilience. Affordable Android phones stayed hot in emerging markets, where battery life and durability beat out fancy camera modes.

Meanwhile, cost and supply-chain nerves did not go away. Chipmakers have warned about tighter DRAM supply as capacity shifts toward AI data-center demand, and analysts have pointed to higher component costs as a reason 2026 growth could cool.

All brands also kept one eye on security headlines, reminding users that whatever the “best phone 2026” can offer is still vulnerable if the number gets ported out.

Below are the phone models that moved the most units globally during calendar year 2025, based on Counterpoint’s model-level ranking that circulated in late January 2026.

1. Apple iPhone 16

The iPhone 16 was the best-selling smartphone of 2025, proving (again) that the “standard” iPhone is the real volume engine.

A big reason is simple shopping math: it looks and feels flagship, but it sits at a more approachable price than the Pro models, and it is now sold as a discounted previous-generation option.

• Price: from $699 in the United States
• 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display
• A18 chip with Apple Intelligence support
• Dual rear camera system built around a 48MP main camera, plus Camera Control and an Action button

For users who store sensitive business data, pairing a popular device with a secure mobile plan and strong account protection can matter as much as the hardware.

2. Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

The largest iPhone again turned “big screen” into “big demand.” In 2025 it placed second worldwide, powered by the familiar mix of battery life, a giant display, and the most feature-complete camera set in the lineup.

• Price at launch: from $1,199 in the U.S.
• 6.9-inch ProMotion display with Always-On
• A18 Pro chip, designed for Apple Intelligence workloads
• Pro camera system includes a 48MP Fusion camera, 48MP Ultra Wide, and a 5x Telephoto

3. Apple iPhone 16 Pro

If you want the Pro camera and performance but prefer a smaller footprint, the iPhone 16 Pro is the sweet spot. It finished third in 2025 model sales, showing that a “not Max” Pro is still a mainstream choice when the upgrade cycle hits.

• Price at launch: from $999 in the U.S.
• A18 Pro chip, ProMotion display, and the same 5x Telephoto reach as the Pro Max
• Pro video features like ProRes and Log recording are a major pull for creators

4. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

A newer phone making the full-year top 10 is always notable, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max did it in a big way by landing fourth despite being on sale for only the final quarter of 2025.

Apple’s own momentum helps explain it: iPhone 17 demand spiked in the holiday quarter, with especially strong performance in China and India.

• 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display, ProMotion, Always-On, and Dynamic Island
• A19 Pro chip and an all-48MP rear camera system on the Pro line
• USB-C with support for USB 3 speeds on Pro models

5. Samsung Galaxy A16 5G

Samsung’s biggest win inside the 2025 top 10 was not an Ultra. It was the Galaxy A16 5G, which analysts tagged as the best-selling Android smartphone of 2025.

It is a textbook “good enough everywhere” phone: big AMOLED, modern 5G, and long support in the exact price band where volume lives.

• 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh
• 50MP main camera and microSD support up to 1.5TB
• Up to 6 generations of OS upgrades and 6 years of security maintenance
• 5,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging support

6. Samsung Galaxy A06 4G

The entry segment is still about “phone as tool,” and the Galaxy A06 4G is exactly that. It ranked sixth globally in 2025, which is a loud reminder that the best-selling phones are often the ones that simply work for first-time smartphone buyers.

• 6.7-inch display and a 5,000mAh battery
• 50MP main camera plus a secondary depth camera for portraits
• Headphone jack and expandable storage via microSD
• Samsung Knox protection features (region dependent)

7. Apple iPhone 17

The base iPhone 17 did not top the 2025 chart, but it still made the top 10 at number seven, and it was the standout growth model of the iPhone 17 generation.

Two upgrades mattered to normal buyers more than to spec-sheet arguers: a 120Hz refresh rate and higher base storage than the prior base model.

• Price: from $799 in the U.S.
• 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion and Always-On
• A19 chip
• 48MP Dual Fusion camera system and 18MP Center Stage front camera

8. Apple iPhone 15

The surprise “still here” pick. Even with newer models on shelves, the iPhone 15 stayed in the global top 10 for 2025, helped by price drops, carrier promos, and the secondhand market.

• 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display and Dynamic Island
• A16 Bionic chip
• 48MP main camera

9. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Samsung’s halo Android device continued to show up where it counts: in the actual sales ranking. The Galaxy S25 Ultra placed ninth on the 2025 global list, and it performed especially well in Japan.

• Top-tier “Ultra” positioning with S Pen support and an advanced camera system
• Dynamic AMOLED 2X with up to 120Hz refresh
• Seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates

10. Apple iPhone 16e

Rounding out the 2025 top 10 is Apple’s value play. The iPhone 16e launched in early 2025 and gave Apple a $599 entry point into the iPhone 16 family, which helped it pull real volume.

• Price: from $599 in the U.S.
• 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display (no Dynamic Island)
• A18 chip with Apple Intelligence support
• 48MP Fusion main camera

If 2025 taught anything worth carrying into 2026, it is that “most popular” and “most talked about” are not the same thing. Apple and Samsung have now filled the entire global top 10 model list for four straight years, and the top 10 devices accounted for about 19% of all smartphone sales.

Premium

Spending more than $800 now buys more on-device intelligence than fancy materials. Apple Intelligence and Samsung’s Galaxy AI remain the headline features, not just camera apertures.
Winning tactics in the premium field include:

• On-device AI that summarizes messages, translates calls, and edits photos without pushing everything to the cloud.
• Ecosystem glue tying watch, laptop, and car to the phone so tightly that switching brands feels painful.
• Rapid security patches because premium buyers are more likely to store sensitive files or manage high-value accounts from their phone.

High-net-worth individuals and executives are also thinking beyond storage size. They want data privacy assurances and may consider a secure cell phone service with stronger account takeover protections than a typical carrier login can provide.

Mid-Range

The $200-500 corridor remains the volume battleground where Samsung, Xiaomi, vivo, and OPPO spar every quarter. Success recipes here revolve around:

• Flagship trickle-down. High-refresh-rate AMOLED panels, larger main sensors, and basic GenAI features migrate down fast.
• Scale economics that let Samsung’s A-series undercut rivals while keeping brand trust intact.
• Regional tailoring. Dual-SIM options in South Asia, NFC priorities in Europe, or bigger batteries in markets where power outages are common.

For buyers who search top selling smartphones 2026 mid-price, it is worth noticing what did (and did not) crack the global top 10: the Galaxy A16 5G represents the mid-range better than any “almost-flagship” spec monster.

Entry-Level

Phones under $200 remain the on-ramp to the internet for millions of people. These customers are often first-time smartphone owners seeking:

• A screen big enough for YouTube classes
• A battery that survives unreliable electricity grids
• A camera that documents daily life for social media

The Samsung Galaxy A06 4G checks those boxes, which explains why it can outsell flashier phones that get more online attention.

The updated leaderboard is still a story of two realities. At one pole sit ultra-premium devices where on-device AI, camera systems, and ecosystem ties justify four-figure prices. At the other pole thrive entry-level workhorses that democratize internet access.

What changed in this 2026 refresh is the clarity. With full-year 2025 model data in hand, we can say the iPhone 16 was the world’s top seller, the Galaxy A16 5G was the best-selling Android model, and iPhone 17 demand was strong enough to push a late-year flagship into the top four.

Q1. Which phone sold the most units worldwide in 2025?
A. Apple’s iPhone 16 was the top-selling smartphone globally in 2025, according to Counterpoint’s model ranking.

Q2. What is the “barbell” effect mentioned in the article?
A. The market splits into two weight classes: ultra-premium handsets financed through trade-in deals on one end, and affordable Android phones expanding first-time ownership in emerging regions on the other. Mid-range models still sell, but the spotlight sits at the extremes.

Q3. Why can revenue rise even when unit growth is small?
A. Premiumization. More buyers take financing or trade-in offers, and manufacturers sell a bigger mix of high-end models, lifting average selling prices even if shipments only inch upward.

Q4. Which Android handset led the global model ranking in 2025?
A. Samsung’s Galaxy A16 5G was the best-selling Android smartphone in 2025, while the Galaxy A06 4G shows how massive the entry segment still is.

Q5. Is a mid-range phone still worth buying in 2026?
A. Yes, if you want practical upgrades like AMOLED displays and longer software support without flagship pricing. Samsung markets multi-year update support on devices like the Galaxy A16 5G, which matters more than a one-time spec bump. Phones like these can also be a smart choice if you are focused on everyday security hygiene, such as staying current on patches and using strong account protection. For mobile security basics and threat prevention, see this overview of security patches.