As of 2023, Apple had all but three of the top ten positions among the world’s best-selling smartphones, according to a recent Counterpoint research. As per the Global Monthly Handset Model Sales Tracker by Counterpoint Research, Apple has surpassed all its rivals in the top 5 rankings, with Samsung occupying the final three slots. No other smartphone manufacturers, including Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Transsion, were able to rank higher.
iPhone 14 dominates 2023, iPhone 15 series conquers the fourth quarter
The iPhone 14 was the absolute top smartphone in 2023, with China and the US accounting for half of sales. However, with a 19% share of total iPhone sales, the iPhone 14 did not quite match the performance of the previous year’s champion, the iPhone 13 (28%). Counterpoint believes this is due to the small differences between the Apple models, which made customers gravitate more towards the Pro versions with features such as Dynamic Island, more powerful chips and higher refresh rates.
Apple’s dominance continued in the fourth quarter of 2023, as the entire top three bestsellers were from the iPhone 15 series, led by the iPhone 15 Pro Max. According to Counterpoint, Apple was able to keep its sales stable despite stagnating overall sales, while the competition weakened. Decisive factors here include booming markets such as India and the Middle East (MEA), where Apple is becoming increasingly popular. These factors ensured that sales figures for the iPhone 15 smartphone series reached the level of the iPhone 14 series from 2023.
Enduring classic: iPhone 13 remains popular
Although the iPhone 13 is Apple’s oldest model on Counterpoint’s top 10 bestseller list, the 13 maintained fourth place in the top seller ranking thanks to double-digit growth in Japan and India. Discounts for older iPhones in Japan and the attractive price-performance ratio in India contributed to the continued success of the Apple iPhone 13, the report states.
Samsung’s budget strategy pays off
Samsung‘s affordable A series assumed the last three places in the top 10, with market observers citing reasons such as the strong price-performance ratio and broad availability of Samsung’s Galaxy A series in various countries. The Galaxy A14 5G was the No. 1 smartphone in India and landed in 8th place overall. Remarkably, the remaining two places are occupied by LTE smartphones, the Galaxy A04e and Galaxy A14 4G, which fared well in emerging markets such as Brazil, India, Mexico and Indonesia owing to their low prices.
