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iPhone 16 Was World's Best-Selling Smartphone in Q3 2025

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Apple led global smartphone sales with the iPhone 16 in the third quarter of 2025 while simultaneously accelerating demand for the iPhone 17 lineup and expanding its promotional footprint in the United States, according to new analyses from Counterpoint Research.

iphone-16-design.jpg

Counterpoint Research's Global Monthly Handset Model Sales Tracker shows that the iPhone 16 was the best-selling smartphone worldwide during the third quarter of 2025. Well into its second year of life, the device's sustained performance is attributed to continued demand among users upgrading from older iPhone generations, expanded carrier promotions in developed markets, and the broad appeal of the standard iPhone configuration in regions where ultra-premium models represent a smaller share of total volume.

Alongside the iPhone 16's continued leadership, Counterpoint says the iPhone 17 Pro Max entered the quarterly global top-10 list and became the best-selling smartphone in September 2025, despite "limited availability towards the end of the quarter." According to the firm, demand for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max was strengthened by a large cohort of users who purchased iPhones during the COVID-19 period and returned for major upgrades this year. New features such as a 48-megapixel telephoto camera with 8x optical zoom and a vapor-chamber cooling system represent one of Apple's most substantial year-over-year camera and thermal architecture revisions and contributed materially to monthly sales growth.

The same dataset indicates that, while Apple maintained its position at the top of the global rankings with the iPhone 16 and expanded momentum with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, Samsung increased its presence in the top-10 list to five positions, all from the Galaxy A series.

A separate Counterpoint analysis of the global foldable smartphone sector shows that the premium market segment where Apple has not yet entered continued to grow at a materially faster pace than the broader industry. The firm reports that global foldable shipments increased 14% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, which is the highest quarterly shipment volume ever recorded for the category.

Counterpoint attributes much of this performance to Samsung's Galaxy Z 7 series, especially the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which generated "exceptionally strong consumer response" due to a slimmer and lighter enclosure, reduced crease visibility, and an upgraded hinge mechanism designed for improved durability. While Apple has not released a foldable iPhone, rumors suggest that the company will debut such a device as soon as next year.

Meanwhile, Counterpoint's U.S. Weekly Smartphone Promotions Index shows that Apple intensified its promotional activity in response to unusually early and aggressive Pixel 10 discounts led by Google. Apple finished the period overtaking Google.

Article Link: iPhone 16 Was World's Best-Selling Smartphone in Q3 2025
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/12/08/iphone-16-was-best-selling-smartphone/
"The firm reports that global foldable shipments increased 14% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, which is the highest quarterly shipment volume ever recorded for the category."

14% increase from nearly zero percent is still nearly zero percent.
 
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sw1tcher said:
Wait a minute. The iPhone 16e is the 4th best selling smartphone for Q3 2025? But people here said it would flop because it was priced too high.


View attachment 2586017
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From an Apple standpoint (for the 16 series), it's in last place, and it did very poorly relative to the normal 16 in your chart there.


The jury is still out on that device over the long term.
 
redmac said:
"The firm reports that global foldable shipments increased 14% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, which is the highest quarterly shipment volume ever recorded for the category."

14% increase from nearly zero percent is still nearly zero percent.
Click to expand...

This also applies to Google Pixel devices. They saw several significant jumps in sales (by percent) but if you’re hardly selling any in the first place it doesn’t mean much.
 
redmac said:
"The firm reports that global foldable shipments increased 14% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, which is the highest quarterly shipment volume ever recorded for the category."

14% increase from nearly zero percent is still nearly zero percent.
Click to expand...
The source article states 2.5%.
 
MacRumors said:
Apple led global smartphone sales with the iPhone 16 in the third quarter of 2025 while simultaneously accelerating demand for the iPhone 17 lineup and expanding its promotional footprint in the United States, according to new analyses from Counterpoint Research.
Click to expand...
Man, Tim Cook is doing such a terrible job, am I right? 🤣
 
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Reactions: lazyrighteye
I have the 16 and experienced some FOMO when the 17 came out with ProMotion but I'm really happy with it. Battery life in particular is still impressive.
 
Eric_WVGG said:
I thought it would demolish demand for the base 16. Looks like the "flop" bets were more accurate than my prediction.
Click to expand...

I think the 16e serves as a wonderful entry price anchor that gets the upgrade mind thinking about "just paying a little more for the 16/17".

Tim Cook 101 here.
 
MacRumors said:
Apple led global smartphone sales with the iPhone 16 in the third quarter of 2025 while simultaneously accelerating demand for the iPhone 17 lineup and expanding its promotional footprint in the United States, according to new analyses from Counterpoint Research.
Click to expand...

This stat is staggering and something any company would KILL for: your “old” product is the hottest selling product in the same quarter that you’re new product is needing to increase production to keep up with demand. Clearly, Tim needs to go and Apple is so obviously doomed.

Apple is far from perfect (and perfect is so overrated - more fodder for fans on niche corners of the web). But as a brand, as a company, as a business, they are sitting in a pretty desired spot with plenty of ceiling. As someone who’s been following them since day one, I’m interested to see the new chapter that some of this turnover will usher in. Hell of a foundation from which to (re)build.
 
turbineseaplane said:
I think the 16e serves as a wonderful entry price anchor that gets the upgrade mind thinking about "just paying a little more for the 16/17".

Tim Cook 101 here.
Click to expand...
I just don't see the value of the 16 (or 17) over the 16E for, like, 80+% of users.

"main" camera is used 90% of the time, nobody cares about the camera control or the dynamic island, everything else about the 16E is "same/good-enough." Enthusiasts get the Pro model. It feels like an empty middle to me.
 
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