iPhones where first, second, third and sixth most popular phones during the first quarter
by Horace Dediu
Concentration into top 10 now highest ever.
Apple’s iPhone 17 was the world’s best-selling smartphone in quarter one of 2026, capturing 6% of global unit sales, according to Counterpoint Research’s latest Global Handset Model Sales Tracker.
The iPhone 17 Series captured the top three spots, while Samsung Galaxy A Series was most represented with five models in the top 10. The top 10 smartphones contributed 25% of global unit sales, the highest quarter one concentration ever, according to Counterpoint. This was driven by sustained demand for the iPhone 17 series, alongside pressure on Android manufacturers in mass-market segments as the ongoing memory shortage pushes up component costs, adds the research group.
Source: Apple World Today
NB: There are over 450 brands and over 6000 phone models in the market yet 10 models from 3 brands make up 25% of sales. The near future is harsh…
RAMmageddon will collapse the low end market concentrating the top 10 even further. Three vendors will make up 40% of the market and five will be 50% at least. Over 100 brands may not survive taking out perhaps 1000 models.
The situation in profits will be even more stark with Apple probably capturing 100% of the available profits in the industry.
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4 comments
deemery ·
And none of those are foldable, right? So much for foldables in the high end of the phone market.
AAPL ·
I read tonight that iPhone 17 may run for 18 months before 18 is released. Pro models remain on annual cadence.
Horace Dediu ·
This was "leaked" a while ago but if they do it, it's only going to be a one-time delay since I presume the base models launching in March quarter will become the norm. If they want to go to a different cadence (18 mo) then the names have to change.
Horace Dediu ·
Indeed, the Samsung models are all low-end.