Which phone became the best-selling in 2025?

Base iPhone 16 model triumphantly returns to the top of the global smartphone sales ranking for the first time in two years

As reported by TUT.AZ, research company Counterpoint Research recorded an impressive achievement by Apple in the first quarter of 2025. The technology giant from Cupertino captured five positions in the top ten best-selling smartphones worldwide, continuing to maintain such leadership for the fifth quarter in a row.

Silver and bronze in the global ranking were also taken by Apple devices — iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro respectively. Despite the challenging situation in the Chinese market, where government subsidies support more affordable models, flagship iPhone versions continue to generate about half of all lineup sales for the third consecutive quarter.

The iPhone 16e, which debuted in February, confidently started in the market, taking sixth place in the global top for March — the first full month of its presence in stores. Despite a higher price compared to the iPhone SE 2022, improved technical specifications and expanded functionality provided the new product with a powerful start, which may allow it to exceed the performance of its predecessor by the end of the year.

Samsung also shows stable results: Galaxy A16 5G rose to fifth place thanks to successful sales expansion in North America and emerging markets. Galaxy S25 Ultra dropped from fifth to seventh place compared to last year's S24 Ultra — mainly due to a later market release and, consequently, less time on sale during the first quarter.

The popularity of budget smartphones is noticeably growing — models priced below $100 have become the most dynamically developing category, capturing about 20% of the global market. Galaxy A06 and Redmi 14C 4G particularly stood out: the latter became the only model in the ranking not from Apple or Samsung, showing an impressive growth of 43% compared to Redmi 13C 4G indicators.

Analysts predict that, despite economic instability and trade contradictions between countries, the positions of leading smartphones will remain strong — largely due to the strategy of manufacturers betting on premium devices with rich functionality.