iPhone 16 Named World's Best-Selling Smartphone in Q3 2025 [Report]

Apple's iPhone 16 was the world's best-selling smartphone in Q3 2025, according to new findings from Counterpoint Research. Apple and Samsung split the global top-ten list evenly, each taking five spots and together accounting for 20 percent of all smartphones sold during the quarter.

The iPhone 16 led the rankings with a 4 percent share, keeping its first-place position for the third quarter in a row. Counterpoint attributes the phone's continued strength to a sales surge in India during the festive season and steady recovery in Japan. Those gains helped cushion the expected slowdown that comes ahead of new hardware launches. The iPhone 16 Pro models, however, saw a sharper seasonal dip as buyers in major markets like the U.S., UK, and China shifted to the newer iPhone 17 lineup.

Even with tight supply near the end of the quarter, the iPhone 17 Pro Max still managed to take the tenth spot. It was the top-selling model in September, boosted by a large wave of upgrades from users replacing aging devices. The flagship's early momentum lines up with recent data showing the iPhone 17 family outpacing the iPhone 16 in initial sales. Interest has been fueled by key upgrades, including a new thermal design and the A19 Pro chip.


Samsung filled the other half of the chart entirely with its Galaxy A series. The Galaxy A16 5G earned the second spot worldwide, followed by the Galaxy A16 4G and Galaxy A36. Counterpoint notes that Samsung has effectively used the A series to target a broad range of price segments while expanding 5G support in lower-cost models. Its remaining entries, including LTE-only variants, continue to hold strong positions in developing regions such as Latin America and the Middle East and Africa.

Another milestone this quarter: for the first time in a Q3 ranking, all top five models were 5G devices, reflecting the ongoing shift away from LTE as next-generation networks become standard across more markets.

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