The iPhone 17 Still Rules the Smartphone Kingdom
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The iPhone 17 continues to buck the trend of declining smartphone sales, ranking as the top-selling handset through the first two quarters of 2026 and growing in unit sales in Q2.
That’s according to the latest data from Counterpoint Research, which has all three iPhone 17 models leading the pack, with the base model accounting for 6% of overall market sales share for the quarter.
While Counterpoint didn’t specify the market share percentages for the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro, which took the second- and third-place spots, Apple still anchored the top ten, which collectively accounted for 26% of global smartphone unit sales.
In fact, the roundup was surprisingly similar to last year, when the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and iPhone 16 Pro took the top three spots. Even Apple’s runners-up were in the same positions: the iPhone 16e in seventh in Q2 2025 was replaced by the iPhone 17e in Q2 2026, and the iPhone 15 was at No. 10 in Q2 2025, with the iPhone 16 taking that spot in Q2 2026.
The iPhone Air is notably absent from this list, which isn’t too surprising. While most believe the ultra-slim model sold about as well as Apple expected, it certainly wasn’t a smash hit. The same could be said for the iPhone 16 Plus, which failed to rank in Q2 2025. It’s just the latest chapter in a long history of also-rans that began with the iPhone mini lineup. However, unlike Apple’s Plus and mini models, the iPhone Air offers something unique enough to justify keeping it around, and Apple is reportedly planning a refresh in early 2027.
What’s more fascinating than Apple’s market share is that the iPhone 17 has gained a greater market share than its predecessor. That’s not too surprising, as this was the model that finally embraced a 120 Hz Always-On display. Apple also bumped the base storage to 256 GB without actually increasing the price, making it an incredibly good deal — especially in today’s economy.
Don’t expect that to last, though. There’s every reason to believe iPhone price increases are coming. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max launching next month are expected to go up by anywhere from $100 to $400 compared to current iPhone 17 Pro models, and while a new iPhone 18 isn’t expected until next spring, many believe that Apple will use the launch to bump the iPhone 17 prices. In other words, if you’re in the market for an iPhone 17, now would be a very good time to buy one.
That pressure might explain why the iPhone 17 models are still selling like hotcakes. “Apple’s unit sales grew 5% YoY despite a broader market decline,” Counterpoint Senior Analyst Karn Chauhan said in the report. “iPhone sales increased across India, Japan, and the MEA, and nearly doubled in South Korea in Q2 2026, driven by the iPhone 17 series.”
Chauhan believes this may also be a function of the rising tide from competitors, which have “pushed consumers towards the higher-end segments.” In other words, as memory prices force budget Android phones to stop being as affordable as they once were, spending $100 more for an iPhone 17 suddenly becomes a much more appealing option.
