Apple and Samsung have completely locked down the global smartphone market. According to recent second quarter data from Counterpoint Research, the 2 tech giants captured every single spot in the worldwide top 10 rankings. The dominant models accounted for 26% of all global shipments even as the broader phone market shrank by 11% year on year.
Apple took the crown with the standard iPhone 17, which alone captured 6% of total global sales. The iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro followed closely behind in second and third place. Overall iPhone shipments climbed by 5% compared to the previous year, pushed higher by heavy demand across India, Japan, the Middle East, and Africa. Apple also saw huge gains in South Korea, where local sales nearly doubled. Even the older 2 year old iPhone 16 and the budget friendly iPhone 17e held onto top spots on the global leaderboard.
Samsung secured the Android crown with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The flagship device jumped up 5 positions compared to its predecessor last year, managing to outsell the companys cheaper alternatives. The standard Galaxy S26 also secured a spot on the leaderboard alongside multiple entry level Galaxy A phones. These budget models continue to perform well because buyers want low prices, wide retail availability, and multi year software updates.
