The research company Counterpoint has presented its smartphone figures for the first quarter of 2026. They show that Apple has succeeded in further strengthening its market position – despite an overall weak market in terms of sales. The US manufacturer is therefore ahead in two categories: both in growth and in individual sales.
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Apple keeps prices relatively stable, but is still growing
According to Counterpoint analysts, who rely on market surveys, the number of units sold worldwide from January to March fell. The fact that there was an eight percent increase in sales year-on-year was due to the current component inflation, especially for DRAM and NAND.
The average selling price rose to a record $399, an increase of 12 percent. Apple grew by far the fastest, with the highest sales to date, according to Counterpoint. The year-on-year increase was 22 percent, although the iPhone group had kept its prices relatively stable. In terms of sales distribution, Apple now had 48 percent, followed by Samsung with 18 percent. Oppo, Xiaomi and Vivo landed at 6, 5 and 4 percent. Apple’s average selling price per iPhone is now $908. In the same quarter last year, this was still at $816.
iPhone 17 is the most popular smartphone in the world
Another Counterpoint study, which breaks down by model, shows that the iPhone 17 is the most popular smartphone worldwide. The entire top ten most popular models have a total share of 25 percent, the iPhone 17 alone accounts for six percent. This is followed by the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro, as well as the iPhone 16 in 6th place. The Samsung Galaxy A07 in the 4G version and the A17 in the 5G version took 4th and 5th place. There are three other Galaxys in the top ten (A56, A36, A17 4G, ranks 7 to 9) and a single Xiaomi device, the Redmi A5.
According to Counterpoint, the iPhone 17 was popular due to its technical improvements, including the higher storage capacity in the entry-level variant, the higher camera resolution and the improved display. It should be borne in mind that popular Chinese cell phones from providers such as Huawei are not available or are only offered to a limited extent in Western countries.
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