Apple and Samsung dominate the Top 10 smartphones that users choose to buy

CounterPoint Research has just released the list of the 10 best-selling smartphones globally in the third quarter of 2025, with Apple and Samsung dominating the list with each occupying five positions. The total sales of these 10 models accounted for 20% of total global smartphone sales during the same period.

Specifically, the iPhone 16 maintained its top position with a 4% market share, marking the third consecutive quarter of leadership. This success was mainly due to festival promotions in India and the recovery of the Japanese market, which helped offset the seasonal decline in sales due to the launch of the iPhone 17 series.

Quite surprisingly, all iPhone products in the 16 Series are at the top of this chart.

In addition, the iPhone 17 series also showed its strength in the first month of its launch, with the Pro Max model quickly entering the top 10, despite only being introduced at the end of the quarter.

However, this product line has caused a significant drop in iPhone 16 Pro sales in key markets such as the US, UK and China, as more and more consumers choose to switch to new models. By entering the top 10, Apple has taken 5/10 positions in the ranking, the rest is occupied by Samsung.

Samsung also had a strong performance this quarter as all five of its phones were from the Galaxy A series. Among them, the Galaxy A16 5G stood out, not only surpassing its predecessors but also becoming the best-selling Android smartphone globally.

Another low-cost representative of the A series right after the Galaxy A16 5G shows the extremely large demand of users for "sufficient" smartphones.

To increase competition in the mid-range segment, Samsung has equipped the Galaxy A36 and A56 with AI features that were previously only available on its flagship models. The AI system called “Awesome Intelligence” includes “Best Face” and “Nightography” features, along with faster charging speeds and extended system support time, making these models more attractive in the market.

Notably, as 5G becomes the norm, 5G smartphones have dominated the top 5 best-selling models. However, in emerging regions such as Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, LTE models such as the Galaxy A16 4G and Galaxy A06 still hold an important position. This helps Samsung's Galaxy A16 4G hold the 9th position in the ranking. Last year, it was the best-selling Galaxy model.

The information in this report is based on the Sell-Through index, which reflects the efficiency of the distribution channel in moving goods from the manufacturer to the consumer.