iPhone 16 is Best-Selling Smartphone in Q3, 2025: Apple and Samsung’s Galaxy A Series Emerge as Clear Winners

-Carlsen Martin

Updated: Wednesday, December 10, 2025, 8:07 [IST]

Apple led the global best-selling smartphones chart in Q3 2025, but not with the latest iPhone 17 series. Counterpoint Research data shows the iPhone 16 topped worldwide shipments between July and September, taking a 4% slice of all units sold.

Samsung was the only other maker appearing in the global best-selling smartphones top ten for the quarter. Four Galaxy A-series models featured in the rankings, with the Galaxy A16 5G and Galaxy A06 placed fifth and sixth, followed by the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56 in seventh and eighth.

Apple iPhone 16 Leads Global Best-selling Smartphones Ranking

The standard iPhone 16 performed strongly across markets and emerged as the best-selling phone worldwide during Q3 2025. Counterpoint Research reported that this model alone accounted for 4% of global smartphone shipments, helping Apple secure a clear lead over rival brands.

Other members of the iPhone 16 family also dominated the global best-selling smartphones list. The iPhone 16 Pro ranked second, the iPhone 16 Pro Max came third, and the iPhone 16e finished fourth. This mirrors Q3 2024, when the iPhone 15, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max filled the first three positions.

Regional Demand Boosts Apple iPhone 16 in Global Best-selling Smartphones

The iPhone 16 gained particular traction in India, where festive sales campaigns lifted demand and pushed volumes higher. Counterpoint Research also noted a rebound for the model in Japan, where sales had softened earlier but showed signs of recovering during the July-September period.

Lower priced Samsung devices ensured the brand’s presence in the global best-selling smartphones rankings. The entry-level Galaxy A16 5G and Galaxy A06 occupied the fifth and sixth slots, while the midrange Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56 held seventh and eighth. The Galaxy A16 sat in ninth position.

Apple’s newer flagship, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, still entered the global best-selling smartphones top ten. It finished in tenth place despite limited availability, since sales only began in the later part of September, giving it less time in the quarter to accumulate shipments.

The Q3 2025 numbers underline how Apple’s iPhone 16 range and Samsung’s Galaxy A series shaped the global best-selling smartphones list. Premium Apple models led the chart, while Samsung’s budget and midrange phones secured the remaining places, leaving no room for other brands in the top ten.