2016’s Bestselling Smartphones Were iPhones

iPhones Top List of Bestselling Smartphones in 2016

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The Apple iPhone topped the list of best-selling smartphones last year, according to a new report from analytics firm IHS Markit.

Specifically, it was the iPhone 6s that took the top spot in 2016, according to shipment data. Trailing behind the 6s were the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 6s Plus, in that order. While IHS Markit hasn’t released any specific shipment numbers, the report’s accompanying infographic seems to show that there were around 60 million shipments of iPhone 6s last year. The data is pulled from the firm’s Smartphone Shipment Database, which tracks shipment data for over 350 different models of smartphones.

Apple’s devices are innovative and feature-heavy enough to spur sales and retain relevance in the market, the analytics firm said. In a press release, IHS Markit also said that Apple has an ability to sell older devices for an extended period of time. The iPhone 6s, for example, was released in September 2015, which makes its lead over newer devices even more impressive.

And as far as Apple’s closest competitor, Samsung, the Note 7 fiasco left the Galaxy S7 Edge as the Korean company’s top-selling device in 2016 — in fifth place, specifically — while the company’s flagship Galaxy S7 ranked ninth. Samsung did manage to claim three other spots on the list, too, rounding out its lineup with mid-tier devices such as the Galaxy J5, Galaxy J3 and Galaxy J7. According to IHS Markit, Samsung has seen growth in the low- to mid-tier segment due to expansion in emerging markets.

Aside from the world’s two smartphone giants, only one other firm managed to get a phone onto the top 10 list — China-based Oppo Electronics. The company’s A53 ranked seventh on the list, probably due to its popularity in markets such as China and India. Notably, the world’s third largest smartphone manufacturer — China’s Huawei — did not have any devices on the IHS Markit list.
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