Trending Now - Iphone 17 Dominates Q1 Sales as Top Smartphone Worldwide
WHO:
Techmeme - Harshit Rastogi is a Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research based in Gurgaon, India.
9to5Mac - Counterpoint Research is the organization providing the smartphone sales data.
WHAT:
9to5Mac - The iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro captured the second and third spots in global sales, respectively, with the iPhone 17 leading at 6% of global smartphone sales.
9to5Mac - The Samsung Galaxy A17 5G ranked fifth in global smartphone sales, followed by the iPhone 16, Samsung Galaxy A56, Galaxy A36, Galaxy A17 4G, and Xiaomi’s Redmi A5, which closed out the top 10 list.
Techmeme - The iPhone 17 was the world's best-selling smartphone in Q1 2026, accounting for 6% of global sales.
9to5Mac - The iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro ranked as the second and third best-selling smartphones, respectively.
9to5Mac - The Samsung Galaxy A07 ranked fourth in global smartphone sales.
9to5Mac - The top three smartphones (iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone 17 Pro) significantly outperformed the rest of the top 10 list.
9to5Mac - The top 10 smartphones contributed to 25% of global unit sales, marking the highest Q1 concentration ever.
WHERE:
Techmeme - The global smartphone market is the context for the sales data.
WHEN:
9to5Mac - The data pertains to the first three months of 2026.
WHY:
9to5Mac - Harshit Rastogi stated, “The smartphone registered double digit YoY growth in key markets like China, the US and 3x in South Korea for the quarter.”
9to5Mac - The iPhone 17 outperformed its predecessor due to key upgrades such as higher base storage, improved camera resolution, and enhanced display refresh rate.
9to5Mac - The iPhone 17 registered double-digit year-over-year growth in key markets like China and the US, and a threefold increase in South Korea.
HOW:
9to5Mac - The iPhone 17's performance is attributed to its overall value and advanced capabilities compared to previous models.
(UPDATED May 5, 2026 23:18 UTC)
The iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro have secured the second and third positions in global smartphone sales, with the iPhone 17 leading the pack at six percent of the market. The Samsung Galaxy A17 5G follows in fifth place, rounding out the top ten alongside the iPhone 16, Samsung Galaxy A56, Galaxy A36, Galaxy A17 4G, and Xiaomi’s Redmi A5. According to Harshit Rastogi, the smartphone market has seen double-digit year-over-year growth in key regions like China and the U.S., and an impressive threefold increase in South Korea for the quarter.
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(UPDATED May 5, 2026 13:26 UTC)
The iPhone 17 has emerged as the world's best-selling smartphone in the first quarter of 2026, capturing six percent of global sales, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro followed closely as the second and third best-sellers. This impressive performance is attributed to significant upgrades, including higher base storage, improved camera resolution, and enhanced display refresh rates, leading to double-digit growth in key markets like China and the US. Overall, the top ten smartphones accounted for twenty-five percent of global unit sales, marking the highest concentration ever for a first quarter.