Galaxy S25 Ultra was the only high end Android phone in world's top ten selling phones

Samsung sold more smartphones in 2025 than it did in 2024. Despite that, it could not stop Apple from becoming the world’s top smartphone brand by sales. The South Korean tech giant fell short by just a few million units. Well, Samsung also came up short against Apple in the world’s top-ten selling smartphones list.

A new report from Counterpoint Research outlines the best-selling phones globally in 2025. The iPhone 16 ranked first, followed by the iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Samsung’s devices appear only from fifth place onward, with far fewer Galaxy models making the list compared to iPhones.

The Galaxy A16 5G was Samsung’s best-selling phone of the year, followed by the Galaxy A06 4G. The Galaxy S25 Ultra was the brand’s only other entry in the list, coming in at ninth, and was the only high-end Android phone in the list. Every remaining spot in the top ten was taken by an iPhone, highlighting Apple’s dominance in the global smartphone market.

No brand other than Apple and Samsung managed to place a phone in the top-ten list. Seven iPhone models and just three Galaxy devices made the ranking. The situation closely mirrored last year, which also featured seven iPhones and three Galaxy phones. While Samsung did not dominate the chart, it still led the Android market by volume.

Looking ahead, the rising demand for AI continues to push memory prices higher. This trend is driving up smartphone manufacturing costs and forcing brands to raise device prices. As a result, fewer people are expected to upgrade to a new phone in 2026, especially in the entry-level segment.

This shift could reduce the presence of affordable devices in next year’s top-ten list. For Samsung, it may mean fewer of its entry-level phones may make the list, or a higher number of its phones from mid-range and premium Galaxy models replacing its budget offerings.