We may earn compensation from reviewed products. Learn about our editorial policies.
Apple’s iPhone 16 emerged as the best-selling smartphone worldwide in the first quarter of 2025 according to Counterpoint Research. This marks a shift in consumer trends compared to this time last year when the base iPhone 15 came second to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This development underscores Apple’s strategic move towards its base/cheaper iPhone offerings, narrowing the gap between standard and Pro models.
Apple takes the top four spots with the 16, 16 Pro Max, 16 Pro and iPhone 15 in that order. Similarly, Samsung saw its flagship and budget offerings flip in popularity with the Galaxy A16 5G ranking in position five, higher than the S25 Ultra which sits seventh, behind other budget Samsung devices.
This marks the first time in two years that Apple’s base model has led the market in the first quarter, marking a noticeable shift towards cheaper devices when you take the table as a whole and especially the appearance of the Redmi 14C 5G.
Apple’s dominance extended further, with the company securing a place in tenth for the iPhone 16 Plus. The iPhone 16e wasn’t available for the whole quarter but did come sixth for sales in March according to Counterpoint, so it could still make its way up the table by the end of the year.
The research notes that the iPhone 16 saw particularly strong sales in Japan and emerging markets like the Middle East and Africa regions. However, in China, the Pro and Pro Max models faced challenges due to government subsidies that favoured local manufacturers such as Huawei.
It will be interesting to keep an eye on these figures to see how well newer releases like the iPhone 16e and Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge perform, and of course, the heavily rumoured iPhone 17 Air.
