Just 10 models account for 22.4% of all smartphone sales, including the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra

The latest smartphone bestseller list from Counterpoint Research shows that the most popular smartphones in the world still come from Apple. While the more affordable iPhone 14 came out on top in the first quarter of 2023, the iPhone 15 Pro Max was the best-selling smartphone globally from January to March 2024 with a market share of 4.4%.

Users are increasingly opting for the top models from the respective companies. While only 24% of Apple's smartphone sales in Q1 2020 were accounted for by the expensive Pro models, the two top models now account for half of sales. Apple's strategy of reserving features such as the latest iPhone processor, the titanium frame, the 120 Hz ProMotion display, the telephoto camera and Dynamic Island for the Pro models is clearly working. Samsung is also showing a clear trend towards the top models. 

The Galaxy S24 Ultra was the most popular Android smartphone in the first quarter with a market share of 1.9%, directly ahead of the Galaxy A15 5G with 1.5% and the Galaxy A54 with 1.4%. According to Counterpoint Research, this is partly due to the fact that the Galaxy S24 series was the first to gain access to Galaxy AI features, but consumers are also increasingly turning to flagships because they are keeping their smartphones for longer before replacing them. In the first quarter of 2024, a remarkable 22.4% of the global smartphone market came from the ten most popular models, including five Apple iPhones and five Samsung Galaxy models.