Which phone became the best-selling in 2025

The base model iPhone 16 returned to first place in the global smartphone sales ranking in January-March 2025 - for the first time in two years.

As reported by BAKU.WS, this was announced by research company Counterpoint Research. Apple occupied five positions in the top ten, which became the fifth consecutive first quarter with such a result.

iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro took second and third places respectively. Despite challenges from the Chinese market, where subsidies support more affordable models, flagship versions continue to account for about half of all iPhone sales for the third quarter in a row.

The iPhone 16e model, released in February, took sixth place in the global ranking for March - the first full month of its sales. Although it is more expensive than the 2022 iPhone SE, improved specifications and expanded functionality allowed it to successfully launch and will likely help it outperform its predecessor by the end of the year.

Samsung also maintains strong positions: Galaxy A16 5G rose to fifth place thanks to expanded sales in North America and developing regions. Galaxy S25 Ultra dropped from fifth to seventh place compared to last year's S24 Ultra - mainly because it went on sale later and was available for less time in the first quarter.

Interest in affordable smartphones is growing rapidly - models under $100 became the fastest-growing category, accounting for about 20% of the global market. Galaxy A06 and Redmi 14C 4G particularly stood out: the latter became the only model in the ranking not from Apple or Samsung, showing impressive growth of 43% compared to Redmi 13C 4G.

According to analysts, despite the unstable economic environment and trade disputes, the positions of the most popular smartphones will remain strong - largely due to manufacturers' focus on premium devices with a wide range of features.