Apple’s base iPhone 17 remained the world’s best-selling smartphone in the second quarter of 2026. A new Counterpoint Research report estimates that it accounted for 6% of global smartphone unit sales, ahead of the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro.
That is the second straight quarter with the same Apple trio in the top three. The iPhone 17 also led Q1 with a 6% share.
Apple and Samsung took every top-10 spot
Apple placed five phones in the Q2 ranking. The iPhone 17e finished seventh, while the older iPhone 16 came tenth. Samsung filled the other five places, led by the Galaxy S26 Ultra in fourth.
The S26 Ultra was the quarter’s best-selling Android phone. Counterpoint says this is the first time an ultra-premium Android model has led Android sales in a June quarter. Samsung’s Galaxy A07 4G, two versions of the Galaxy A17, and the base Galaxy S26 completed the list.
Together, the ten models made up 26% of all smartphone unit sales, compared with 24% a year earlier. Counterpoint links that concentration to phone makers focusing on flagship and high-volume models as the memory shortage raises costs.
The base iPhone is doing the heavy lifting
Counterpoint credits the base iPhone 17’s upgrades with closing some of the gap with Apple’s Pro models. Apple’s total unit sales rose 5% year over year, with gains in India, Japan, the Middle East, and Africa. Sales nearly doubled in South Korea.
The Pro models still benefited from trade-ins, promotions, and financing. The iPhone 17e made the top 10 after Apple added MagSafe and more base storage without raising its starting price from the previous model.
The iPhone-heavy ranking reflects a broader move toward premium phones. A separate Counterpoint report estimates that Apple held 65% of premium smartphone unit sales in the first half of 2026, even as the wider market weakened.
Global smartphone shipments fell 11% year over year in Q2, according to separate Counterpoint data. Samsung led total brand shipments with 24%, while Apple reached a record 20% Q2 share. That does not conflict with the iPhone 17 ranking. Samsung sells more phones overall across a much broader lineup, while Apple’s base flagship was the single most popular model.
