While competition in the smartphone market continues unabated, sales figures for the second quarter of 2026 have been released. While Apple and Samsung showed a striking dominance in the list of the world’s best-selling phones, the iPhone 17 took the top spot.

According to data shared by Counterpoint Research, Apple’s standard iPhone 17 model alone accounted for 6% of global smartphone sales in the second quarter of 2026. Moreover, Apple models occupied all three of the top spots.

Apple’s mark on the world’s best-selling phones list

According to the research, the iPhone 17 is in first place on the list. It is followed by the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro. Thus, Apple has completely taken over the top three spots on the list in the second quarter of 2026.

Apple’s success doesn’t stop there. The company managed to place a total of five models in the top 10, including the iPhone 17e and the previous generation iPhone 16.

Samsung also has five different models on the list. Thus, all of the top 10 most popular smartphones in the second quarter of 2026 consist of Apple and Samsung models.

According to Counterpoint Research data, the models in the top 10 accounted for 26 percent of total global smartphone sales. This rate increased by 2 points compared to the same period last year.

Apple grew while the smartphone market shrank

Another striking point of the report was the difference between the general state of the market and Apple’s performance. While the global smartphone market contracted by 11 percent year-on-year in the same period, Apple’s unit sales increased by 5 percent.

iPhone sales increased particularly in India, Japan, the Middle East, and Africa. Sales in South Korea are said to have almost doubled compared to the same period last year.

The success of the standard iPhone 17 is thought to be influenced by the reduction in the feature difference between it and the Pro models. For the Pro and Pro Max models, trade-in programs, campaigns, and financing options are cited as factors supporting sales.

The iPhone 17 hasn’t only been in the news lately because of its sales performance. We previously shared with you

that the standard model is preparing to break the iPhone record due to arguments related to Apple’s new product schedule.

The fact that Apple and Samsung share the entire top 10 reveals the level of competition in the global market. It is noteworthy that premium models are increasing their share of sales lists, especially during a period when the market is shrinking.

So how do you evaluate the list of the world’s best-selling phones? Were you surprised that the iPhone 17 is at the top?