Apple's iPhone 16 was the world's best-selling smartphone in 2025, followed by the 16 Pro Max and 16 Pro; Apple took 7 of the top 10 spots and Samsung took 3
Context & Ripple Effects
The iPhone 16 had already led the global rankings in the first quarter of 2025, with its Pro Max and Pro siblings close behind. The full-year result shows that ordering persisted rather than being an early-cycle spike.
Apple had also held seven of the global top 10 in the 2023 rankings, while Samsung occupied the remaining positions. The 2025 list therefore extends a concentrated two-company pattern, even as Apple’s leading models span standard and Pro tiers.
First-order effects
- Apple’s iPhone 16 family takes the top three positions and seven of the 10 bestselling-phone slots, giving its current lineup unusually broad representation in the annual ranking.
- Samsung holds the other three top-10 positions, preserving its place as the only other vendor represented in the list.
Second-order effects
- The result reinforces Apple’s ability to sustain demand across both base and Pro iPhones; earlier coverage had found Pro models reached half of Apple’s sales in Q1 2024.
- Other handset vendors face a more difficult path to visibility in global bestseller rankings, while Samsung must defend its remaining positions against Apple’s expanded model coverage.
Third-order effects
- If this pattern continues, global bestseller lists will remain increasingly concentrated around Apple and Samsung rather than reflecting a broad set of handset makers.
- The recurring presence of both standard and premium iPhones suggests model-line breadth—not just a single flagship—will remain central to leadership in high-volume smartphone sales.
The trend: The smartphone market’s bestseller tier is consolidating around Apple’s multi-tier iPhone lineup and Samsung as its principal ranked challenger.