iPhone 17 is outselling Pro models in Q1 2026, Samsung A-series remains a mass-market hit

The iPhone 17 has emerged as the best-selling smartphone worldwide during the first quarter of 2026, surpassing its Pro counterparts, according to a recent report by Counterpoint Research. The standard iPhone model accounted for an impressive 6% of global unit sales, highlighting its strong market presence. In the same report, Samsung's Galaxy A Series proved to be a major player, occupying five positions within the top 10 best-selling smartphones. The latest iPhones, including the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone 17 Pro, claimed the top three spots, while the older iPhone 16 also maintained its relevance in the rankings. Samsung's A-series mid-range phones, particularly the Galaxy A07 4G and Galaxy A17 5G, secured the fourth and fifth positions, respectively. Other models from this lineup, like the Galaxy A56 and A36, also made it into the top-selling category. Interestingly, Samsung's premium offerings from the Galaxy S and Z series have not achieved the same level of popularity, remaining relatively niche compared to the widely favored A-series. The Galaxy S26 Ultra, for instance, narrowly missed being listed among the top 10. Additionally, the Xiaomi Redmi A5 rounded out the list by taking the tenth position. In a separate analysis by CyberMedia Research, it was revealed that Vivo leads the Indian smartphone market with a 21% share, followed closely by Samsung at 17% and Xiaomi at 12%. Despite a solid start, smartphone shipment growth in India has decelerated, reflecting a 2% decline compared to the previous year, largely due to rising production costs associated with DRAM and NAND flash memory chips. However, there is a silver lining: the premium smartphone segment saw growth of 25% in India, indicating that consumers are still willing to invest in higher-end devices. Conversely, affordable smartphones experienced a dramatic 46% drop, while the mid-range segment also faced a 12% decline. As for Apple, it captured a 9% shipment share in Q1 2026, largely driven by the iPhone 16 series, which constituted 53% of volumes, while the iPhone 17 series held a 28% share.