You won’t believe which Samsung phones are crushing the Galaxy S26 Ultra in sales

The Galaxy S26 series has been out for some months now, but even though the S26 Ultra features some interesting upgrades, it wasn't the best-selling Samsung model in the first quarter of 2026.

The feature-rich flagship with the world's first integrated privacy display, along with the iconic S Pen and the fastest Qualcomm chipset available, launched at $1,299.99 back in February. Now, almost three months later, it got outsold by a surprising contender in the Samsung portfolio.

The cheapest Galaxy A series phone outsold the Galaxy S26 Ultra

According to Counterpoint Research's market analysis for the first quarter of 2026, the Galaxy A07 was the best-selling Android phone worldwide. The cheapest model in the Galaxy A lineup ranked in fourth place after the iPhone 17 trio — the vanilla iPhone 17 and the two Pro models.

Interestingly enough, the fifth place also belongs to a Galaxy A-series device, the next step up from the cheapest model — the Galaxy A17.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra just narrowly missed the top 10, according to the Counterpoint's data. This isn't a huge surprise, as the Galaxy A series often outperforms the flagship Samsung models in terms of sales.

Should Samsung be worried?

No reasons for concern. The Galaxy A series has always been a very strong revenue generator for Samsung, and this doesn't mean the flagship models are flopping.

This was true for the previous generation Galaxy S25 Ultra, which got pipped by the Galaxy A16 and Galaxy A06 in Q1 2025. The Galaxy S24 Ultra was an exception, as it outperformed the Galaxy A15, Galaxy A54, Galaxy S24, and Galaxy A05 in Q1 2023, ranking sixth in sales among all smartphone models worldwide.

There's also the fact that the Galaxy S26 Ultra launched late February, almost a month later than its predecessor, so it had less time to gain momentum in terms of sales.

Why do cheap Galaxy A phones sell better than the best Samsung flagships?

One obvious answer is that flagship phones are getting more and more expensive while failing to bring substantial upgrades to justify the fat price tag. At the same time, midrange and even budget phones are getting better and better as technology advances.

The Galaxy A07, which is the best-selling Android phone in the first quarter of 2026, costs under $100 and comes equipped with a 6.7-inch 90Hz display and a big 5,000 mAh battery and a 50MP camera, and it is also IP54 dust protected and water resistant.

For many people these specs are more than enough to provide a good smartphone experience, and the price is unbeatable.

The other part of the equation has something to do with developing smartphone markets. Counterpoint Research notes that the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America were the main markets contributing to the Galaxy A07's popularity during the quarter, along with India.

Apple's on top despite the premium price tag. What gives?

This one's kind of obvious. Apple doesn't really sell budget phones. The cheapest model, the iPhone 17e, still costs $599, and the general portfolio is quite small. This helps focus sales on those premium devices and doesn't dilute the sales numbers with midrange and affordable offerings.

The iPhones normally cater to a different audience than the Galaxy A series, though there's a slight overlap between the most expensive Galaxy A device and the cheapest iPhone. That fact alone is one of the reasons Samsung has been able to get such a large market share in the affordable segment, even outselling its own flagships.

Get Visible as low as $20/mo for 1 year. Limited time offer with code: FRESHSTART

$20 /mo

$25

$5 off (20%)

Offer Ends 6.1.2026 at 11.59pm ET. New members get $5/mo off the $25/mg Visible plan, $35/mo Visible+ plan, or $45/mo Visible+ Pro plan for the first 12 months. Promo code FRESHSTART required at checkout.

Buy at Visible