Apple’s iPhone 15 was the best-selling smartphone globally in quarter three (Q3) of 2024, followed closely by the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro, according to Counterpoint Research’s Global Handset Model Sales Tracker.
Samsung maintained the biggest presence in the global top-10 best-selling smartphones list with five spots, followed by Apple with four and Xiaomi with one. This distribution has remained consistent from 2023, indicating stable consumer preferences. While Apple’s share of the top-10 list has declined slightly, Samsung’s presence has grown to keep the combined market contribution of the top 10 smartphones at around 19%.
The growing consumer preference for high-end smartphones is gradually narrowing the market share gap between the iPhone’s base and Pro variants, according to Counterpoint. Notably, for the first time in a third quarter, half of the total iPhone sales were contributed by the Pro variants in Q3. This shift is helping Apple drive higher-value device sales.
Besides, consumers are opting for the latest iPhones, especially in emerging markets, which further contributes to Apple’s higher-value sales, according to Counterpoint. This trend is supported by attractive financing schemes and trade-in offers, making the latest iPhones more accessible to a broader range of income brackets.
The research group adds that Apple and Samsung are further strengthening their premium positioning with Apple Intelligence and Galaxy AI, which will help them continue to dominate these rankings. Both brands are leveraging GenAI as a differentiating factor in the premium segment.
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