Apple's 'vanilla' iPhone 16 comfortably ruled the world ahead of the iPhone 17's launch
The identity of the world's best-selling smartphone in Q2 2025 will probably not be shocking for any keen industry follower, but the top ten list does include a few surprises.
Following a rather slow start at the global box-office back in the fall of 2024, the 6.1-inch non-Pro iPhone 16 became the world's best-selling handset in Q1 2025, then managing to not only maintain its dominant position during the year's second quarter, but also extend its lead over Apple's higher-end and costlier mobile devices released last year.
Apple gets all the medals again, but not the fourth spot as well
Just like between January and March, the entire podium belongs to Apple in the Q2 2025 Counterpoint Research ranking of the most popular smartphones around the globe. Even the order on said podium is unchanged from the year's first three months, with the aforementioned "regular" iPhone 16 champ followed in second place by the jumbo-sized iPhone 16 Pro Max and in third place by the more compact iPhone 16 Pro powerhouse.
What's changed is the world's fourth best-selling handset, which was the iPhone 15's spot in Q1 2025, now belonging to Samsung's low-end Galaxy A16 5G. That's not exactly a big triumph for the industry-leading vendor, especially from a profit margin perspective, but the company also holds the fifth, seventh, and eight spots in the latest global smartphone sales hierarchy with the Galaxy A06 4G, Galaxy A16 4G, and Galaxy S25 Ultra respectively.
There are apparently only three brands that truly count for the vast majority of smartphone buyers out there.
The S25 Ultra, mind you, is down from the number seven to the number eight place, but two consecutive top ten results are certainly not bad for a super-premium Android model many prospective buyers may have found to be too expensive shortly after its early 2025 debut.
Android flagships also tend to be very front-loaded in terms of their global sales figures, so the Galaxy S25 Ultra's relatively stable popularity is likely to count as a win in Samsung's book.
What device do you think SHOULD be the world's top seller in Q3?
iPhone 16
19.87%
iPhone 16 Pro Max
5.3%
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
4.64%
iPhone 17
47.68%
iPhone 17 Pro Max
12.58%
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
1.32%
Something else
8.61%
But the quarter's biggest winner remains the iPhone 16, which was only ranked 22 in Q3 2024 (with just a few days of sales, of course), then jumping to third place in Q4 (behind the 16 Pro Max and 16 Pro) before overtaking its siblings during the first three months of 2025 and absolutely crushing them between April and June.
Will the iPhone 16 score a third quarterly victory in a row?
Most likely. After all, the iPhone 15 was the world's top-selling phone in both Q2 and Q3 2024, and the iPhone 16 appears to be even more successful than its predecessor.
Of course, the most interesting thing to see in Counterpoint's Q3 2025 chart will be the positions of the newly unveiled iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. Although it seems unlikely that any of these four rookies will manage to crack the global top five with under two weeks of availability, the iPhone 16 Pro Max did come incredibly close to such a mind-blowing result in Q3 2024, so clearly, anything is possible.
The iPhone 17 is obviously far too young to overtake the iPhone 16 in the global Q3 2025 sales chart. | Image Credit -- Apple
The iPhone 17 Pro Max reportedly got off to an even stronger pre-order start than its predecessor, mind you, keeping all its siblings at bay... for the time being. As such, it's likely that the "vanilla" iPhone 17 will not be the best-selling member of its family at first either, nonetheless looking all but guaranteed to eventually take the crown away from the 17 Pro Max and hold on to it for a good six or nine months of its own.
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Meanwhile, the affordable iPhone 16e deserves a quick mention as well for beating not only the iPhone 15, but the Galaxy A16 4G and S25 Ultra too in Q2 2025 sales. Of course, if the A16 4G and A16 5G were one and the same device, their results could be enough to rival the iPhone 16 Pro in addition to eclipsing the 16e, but that's probably a story for a different time.
Finally, let's give a shout-out to Xiaomi as well, which has basically made a habit of breaking the smartphone market's Apple/Samsung duopoly with a single ultra-affordable model. This time, it's the Redmi 14C 4G that ranks right behind the Galaxy S25 Ultra and ahead of the iPhone 15, dropping a spot from Q1 and looking set to exit the top ten in Q3 due to its slowly advancing age.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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