The list of this year's top-selling cell phones has been released, but there is one unexpected omission.
Despite the ongoing problem of RAM shortages, the mobile phone market got off to a great start in 2026. The list of the top-selling phones so far this year, released by sales analytics company Counterpoint, provides proof of this.One brand achieved phenomenal sales in the first quarter of 2026, some of which have been on the market for over a year. The list also included some surprises.
In fact, Apple became the top-selling smartphone manufacturer in the first three months of 2026, with four of its models ranking in the top ten but significantly outperforming brands like Samsung and Xiaomi in market share. The iPhone 17 is the best-selling phone so far in 2026, accounting for 6% of global smartphone sales. It is followed by the iPhone 17 Pro Max in second place and the iPhone 17 Pro in third.
Samsung, the world's second-largest mobile phone manufacturer, had five of its models in the top ten, but its market share is smaller than Apple's. The Galaxy A07 4G is the South Korean company's best-selling phone, followed by the Galaxy A17 5G.
The iPhone 16 ranks sixth, while three Galaxy A-series phones occupy the seventh, eighth, and ninth positions. Xiaomi, projected to become the world's third-largest mobile phone manufacturer by sales in the first quarter of 2026, has only one model in the top ten.
Counterpoint indicates that the top ten best-selling phones in the first months of 2026 alone will account for 25% of the market share. This is very promising data. However, some may be surprised by the absence of some of the most prominent phones in the new Galaxy S series, such as the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra, from the list. There's a reason for this.
As the company explains, both phones were launched in early March, a month later than planned (the Galaxy S25 series launched in February 2025). This is too short a timeframe for them to appear on the list of best-selling phones for 2026. However, Counterpoint asserts that initial sales of the Galaxy S26 are already exceeding those of its predecessor.