Continuing the legacy of remaining top in the smartphone market, Apple secured the top spots in sales for the third quarter of this year.
Apple’s iPhone 15 was the best-selling smartphone globally in Q3, followed closely by the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro, according to Counterpoint Research’s Global Handset Model Sales Tracker. While Samsung maintained the biggest presence in the global top-10 best-selling smartphones list. The South Korean smartphone manufacturer secured five spots, followed by Apple with four and Xiaomi with one.
This indicates stable consumer preferences as the distribution has remained the same from 2023.
Apple’s share of the top-10 list has declined this time, whereas Samsung’s presence has grown to keep the combined market contribution of the top 10 smartphones at around 19%, as per the report.
The increasing consumer preference for high-end smartphones is gradually closing the market share gap between the iPhone’s base and Pro models. Notably, for the first time in a third quarter, Pro variants accounted for half of total iPhone sales. This shift is helping Apple increase sales of higher-value devices.
As consumers are opting for the new iPhone models, especially in emerging markets, it further contributes to Apple’s higher-value sales. Apple’s attractive financing schemes and trade-in offers fueled this trend as it made the latest iPhones available to a wider range of income brackets.
As per the report, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 retained a spot in the top 10 in Q3 for the third consecutive quarter. Also, for the first time in the third quarter since 2018, a Galaxy S series variant entered the top 10.
Samsung’s solid marketing which was mainly focused on its GenAI capabilities drove the major sales of the Galaxy S24 series. Additionally, Samsung’s Galaxy A series secured four spots in the top-10 list because of its wider presence across geographies and focus on the larger customer segments in the entry and mid-price bands.
The Korean smartphone manufacturer has effectively positioned these devices with competitive pricing and longer software support. However, in the top-10 list, the high-end Galaxy A series phones have been edged out by the Galaxy S series and A series mid-range models, the report said.
Xiaomi’s Redmi 13C has remained on the list for the second consecutive quarter due to its affordability and presence in emerging markets. The smartphone stands out in its price range by providing better specifications, the report said.
