Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The smartphone market may be having a rough year due to the ongoing memory crisis, but Apple seems to be doing just fine. While rising component costs and memory shortages are pushing smartphone prices higher and weighing on demand, the iPhone 17 continued to sell strongly. In fact, according to a fresh Counterpoint Research report, Apple once again managed to put five iPhone models in the world’s top 10 best-selling smartphones during the second quarter of 2026.
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The iPhone 17 took the top spot, accounting for 6 per cent of global smartphone unit sales during the quarter. Apple also grabbed the second and third positions with the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro, while the iPhone 17e came in seventh and the older iPhone 16 secured the tenth spot.
Apple takes five spots as smartphone market slows
The latest ranking is interesting because it comes at a time when the broader smartphone market is struggling. Counterpoint’s recent reports have pointed to falling sales and shipments across several major markets, with rising memory costs and higher smartphone prices putting pressure on demand.
In Europe, smartphone shipments fell 10 per cent year over year in Q2, reaching a three-year low. China wasn’t doing much better, with smartphone sales down 8.6 per cent during the first 30 weeks of 2026. India also recorded a 14 per cent decline in sales across weeks 14 through 31.
Counterpoint says Apple’s unit sales grew 5 per cent year over year, even as the overall market declined. The company also recorded strong growth in India, Japan and the Middle East and Africa region, while sales in South Korea nearly doubled during the quarter.
The base iPhone 17 appears to have been the biggest winner. Counterpoint Senior Analyst Karn Chauhan said the model remained the world’s best-selling smartphone, helped by upgrades that narrowed the gap between the standard and Pro models.
The Pro models, meanwhile, benefited from strong demand for premium smartphones, along with trade-in programmes, promotions and financing options that made the expensive iPhones a little easier to swallow.
And then there’s the iPhone 17e. The model ranked seventh globally and continued to build momentum after launching in late March. Its presence in the top 10 also shows that Apple’s strategy isn’t entirely dependent on its most expensive models.
Samsung was the only other company to make the global top 10. The Galaxy S26 Ultra 5G came fourth, followed by the Galaxy A07 4G, Galaxy A17 5G, Galaxy A17 4G and Galaxy S26 5G.
Together, the 10 best-selling smartphones accounted for 26 per cent of global smartphone sales, up two percentage points from a year earlier.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
