For the first time, iPhones captured the top seven out of 10 spots on a list of bestselling smartphones worldwide, according to Counterpoint Research.
And guess what? iPhone 15 series handsets enter the list not at the top, but at No. 5. Many markets place a greater value on less expensive handsets.
iPhone takes first 7 spots of top 10 list of bestselling smartphones worldwide
Counterpoint Research’s Global Monthly Handset Model Sales Tracker for December 2023 shows a new level of iPhone dominance. It’s the first time Apple’s smartphones have taken the first seven out of 10 spots on the list of the world’s bestselling smartphones.
iPhone 14 came in first, with 3.9% of the global market. Then came iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro in spots two and three. iPhone 13 placed fourth. Only then does iPhone 15 series make an appearance, with iPhone 15 Pro Max in fifth place, then Pro and the base model in spots six and seven.
And the rest of the top 10? Samsung Galaxy handsets took spots eight through 10, increasing the company’s 2022 total of top 10 phones by one.
Counterpoint noted that the top 10 smartphones’ combined market share reached its highest level ever, 20% (up from 19% in 2022).
Apple can thank emerging markets for iPhone sales
Photo: Counterpoint Research
And who does Apple have to thank for iPhone’s dominance among the world’s bestselling smartphones? Emerging markets. The analysis credited Apple’s strong iPhone sales in markets like India, the Middle East and Africa for its dominance. During 2023, India became the fifth market to go over 10 million iPhone unit sales in one year, for example.
Counterpoint also suggested iPhone 15 series‘ popularity may climb in 2024, as its sales showed increasing strength at the end of 2023:
Apple’s iPhone 14 was the best-selling smartphone of 2023, with the US and China making up half of its sales. Further, the model contributed 19% of the total iPhone sales for 2023, down from the 2022 bestseller iPhone 13’s 28% share. Limited differentiation between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 led to lower adoption of the base variant and increased sales of the iPhone Pro variants, which offer substantial upgrades like Dynamic Island, a more advanced chipset and a higher display refresh rate. The iPhone 15 series took the top three spots on the global bestseller list for Q4 2023, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max becoming the best-selling smartphone.
Counterpoint mentioned Apple’s iPhone sales in 2023 were flat overall, yet better than the declines competitors saw during the year.
Interestingly, iPhone 13, at No. 4 on the list, is the oldest phone in the top 10. And why is it even there? Double-digit sales growth in Japan and India placed a high value on the less-expensive handset, Counterpoint said.
What does the future hold?
Counterpoint suggested the top 10 smartphones in 2024 should capture even more of the overall market. In addition, Chinese brands may crack the list, which will probably be all 5G models.
Here’s what Counterpoint said:
We expect 2024’s top 10 best-selling smartphones to represent a larger proportion of total smartphone sales as OEMs are focusing on leaner portfolios. Further, we expect Chinese brands to enter the list. And with OEMs increasingly launching 5G-only models, 2024’s top 10 will likely be 5G-only.
