iPhone 17 Pro Max (orange) and iPhone 17 Pro. Photo by VnExpress/Tuan Hung

The base model 17 was the world’s top-selling smartphone in the first three months of the year, capturing 6% of global market share, Counterpoint’s report released Tuesday showed.

It recorded double-digit year-on-year growth in key markets such as China and the U.S., while sales in South Korea tripled during the quarter.

Counterpoint senior analyst Harshit Rastogi said the 17 attracted strong consumer interest and outperformed its predecessor thanks to major upgrades, including higher base storage, improved camera resolution and a faster display refresh rate.

The 17 Pro Max and 17 Pro ranked second and third, while the 16, launched in 2024, came in sixth.

The iPhone Air, introduced alongside the 17 lineup in late September 2025, did not make the top 10.

In late April, Apple CFO Kevan Parekh told the Financial Times that the 17 family had become the "most popular line-up" in the company’s history. iPhone sales rose more than 20% to $57 billion in the first three months of 2026, driven partly by strong demand in China for the 17 series.

Apple CEO Tim Cook also said "extraordinary demand" for the 17 family powered the company’s strongest-ever financial results for this period of the year, with revenue reaching $111.2 billion in the three months to the end of March, up about 17% from a year earlier.

Samsung’s Galaxy A Series was the most represented lineup in the top 10, with five models: A07 4G, A17 5G, A56, A36 and A17 4G.

Samsung’s 2026 flagship, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, narrowly missed the top 10 despite recording stronger initial sales than its predecessor.

China had only one representative on the list, with Redmi A5 from Xiaomi ranking 10th.

Best-selling smartphones in the first quarter of 2026. Photo from Counterpoint Research

According to Counterpoint senior analyst Karn Chauhan, an expected decline in the smartphone market will likely affect buyers looking for lower-cost devices, while demand for premium smartphones is expected to continue growing.

In response, original equipment manufacturers are shifting focus toward premium portfolios, prioritizing value over volume, he added.