TL;DR: Apple and Samsung dominated the mobile landscape in 2025. The two companies were responsible for the top 10 best-selling handsets for the fourth consecutive year. Combined, these models were responsible for 19 percent of all smartphone sales last year.
Apple's iPhone 16 was the best-selling smartphone last year by a wide margin. The iPhone 16 Pro Max captured second place, narrowly beating out the standard iPhone 16 Pro. The newer iPhone 17 Pro Max, launched in September, was the fourth best-selling smartphone in 2025 despite its relatively late arrival.
Samsung's mid-range Galaxy A16 5G rounded out the top five, followed by the Galaxy A06 4G. The iPhone 17, iPhone 15, Galaxy S25 Ultra, and the iPhone 16e complete the list, in that order.
Oddly enough, last year's top 10 list nearly mirrors what happened in 2024. In fact, the top five slots are comprised of the exact same models in the same order – just one generation newer. If nothing else, consumers are seemingly consistent in their buying habits.
Counterpoint research analyst Harshit Rastogi noted Apple's strong performance in the top 10. Indeed, Cupertino accounted for seven of the top 10 best-selling smartphones, just as they did the year prior.
Rastogi highlighted the solid performance of the iPhone 17 series, which achieved 16 percent higher sales than its predecessor series in its first full quarter on the market. The analyst said this was driven primarily by initial demand in key markets including the US, Western Europe, and China.
Another newcomer, the iPhone 16e that arrived in February, also resulted in additional sales. Priced at $599, it is the most affordable iPhone in Apple's current lineup. According to Rastogi, the iPhone 16e offers the latest capabilities – with some strategic trade-offs – and grants easy entry into the iOS ecosystem.
As for Samsung, the Galaxy A16 5G proved to be the best-selling Android smartphone of the year thanks to a solid blend of hardware and software capabilities. One thing that may have negatively impacted A16 5G sales was the earlier-than-anticipated launch of the A17 5G.
Looking ahead, the ongoing global memory shortage is expected to throw a wrench into the mobile market with a big impact on entry-level and mid-range sales. When it's all said and done, flagship smartphones could have a banner year and contribute more to the overall market than in previous years.