The iPhone 17 series has been enjoying its massive success by being one of the best-selling smartphones in the world. The crown for the best-selling smartphone was held by the iPhone 17 Pro Max until last month, and it has now been taken by the standard iPhone 17.
iPhone 17 Sales Outgrow Its "Pro" Cousins
According to a new report from Counterpoint Research, the standard iPhone 17 sales have outgrown those of its Pro and Pro Max siblings, making it the best-selling iPhone in the world. The iPhone 17 has dethroned the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which was the best-selling iPhone for three consecutive months of 2026.
Based on the early data for Q1 2026, the vanilla iPhone 17 made up 6% of the global phone sales. The top three spots were all taken by Apple, where the iPhone 17 Pro Max slipped to second place, while the iPhone 17 Pro came third.
The rest of the top 10 list was heavily dominated by cheaper, budget-friendly phones, mostly consisting of Samsung's A series. These include the Galaxy A07 4G and Galaxy A17 5G. The iPhone 16 secured the sixth spot, and the Galaxy A56, A36 and A17 4G followed. Finally, the Redmi A5 was at the very bottom of the list.
While Counterpoint did not share the exact numbers for the phones, they did note that the top 10 best-selling smartphones made up for 25% of all global phone sales. As for the reason why the iPhone 17 jumped the rankings, Counterpoint Research's Senior Analyst, Harshit Rastogi, says it was due to the major upgrades on the iPhone 17.
iPhone 17 continues to outperform its predecessor owing to key upgrades like higher base storage, camera resolution, display refresh rate bringing the smartphone closer to the Pro variants and providing overall value for larger market. The smartphone registered double digit YoY growth in key markets like China, the US and 3x in South Korea for the quarter. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max and Pro captured the following two spots, offering even more advanced capabilities across camera, battery and new colour, material and finish.
— Harshit Rastogi, Counterpoint Research
Thanks to the base iPhone 17 giving more storage, a better camera and a smoother screen, it meant it was a better deal than the Pro iPhone model this year. This led to massive sales growth in major markets like the US and South Korea. Apple also dominated in China, reportedly selling over 17.27 million iPhone 17 units in the country.
However, what's surprising is that the research suggests Samsung's latest Galaxy S26 Ultra narrowly missed the top 10 list, suggesting a strong start compared to its predecessor.
For users still eyeing an iPhone 17, the upcoming Croma Everything Apple sale could be a great time to grab one for additional discounts and perks. With the sale season almost upon us, this might be the best chance to bag an iPhone 17 at a lower price.
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