The iPhone 17 was the best-selling smartphone in the global market in the first quarter of 2026, with a share of around 6 percent of total global sales, according to a report from Counterpoint Research.
the report, titled "Global Handset Model Sales Tracker," shows the iPhone 17 series dominates the top three spots in the world's best-selling phones. The standard iPhone 17 variant is in first place, followed by the iPhone 17 Pro Max in second, and the iPhone 17 Pro in third.
Meanwhile, the previous generation model, the iPhone 16, still holds the sixth position, indicating that market demand for the device is still quite strong after recording high sales throughout last year.
Counterpoint senior analyst Harshit Rastogi believes the iPhone 17's success is driven by a number of specification upgrades that bring the standard model closer to the Pro variant. These upgrades include a base storage capacity of 256GB, camera upgrades, and support for a faster 120Hz display refresh rate .
