Counterpoint: iPhone 16 was the world’s best-selling phone in Q3 | Infinium-tech

Apple dominated the global best-selling smartphone list during Q3, but it wasn’t the shiny new iPhone 17 models that gave Cupertino the lead. according to Counterpoint ResearchThe iPhone 16 was the world’s best-selling phone during the July–September months, accounting for 4% of all shipments for the period.

apple iphone 16

The iPhone 16 sold particularly well in India during the festive promotion and saw some improvement in Japan as well.

But it wasn’t just the vanilla iPhone 16, as the iPhone 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, and iPhone 16e grabbed the second, third, and fourth positions on the best-selling list. This turn of events is not that different from last year when we saw the iPhone 15, 15 Pro, and Pro Max occupy the top three spots.

Share of global top 10 best-selling smartphones, Q3 2025 vs Q3 2024 (Counterpoint Global Monthly Handset Model Sales Tracker)

Samsung was the only other brand to have a device in the top ten, with the entry-level Galaxy A16 5G and Galaxy A06 coming in fifth and sixth respectively. They were followed by the midrange Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56, which ranked seventh and eighth.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G

Samsung Galaxy A06

The Galaxy A16 was ranked ninth while the iPhone 17 Pro Max made the top ten list despite limited availability, as it was available since late September.

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