Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is one of the market's most pricey devices, but that has not stopped customers from choosing this flagship device. The latest report from Counterpoint Research shows that this singular iPhone was the best-selling smartphone worldwide in Q1 2024.
Despite concentrating solely on flagships, Apple has continued to conquer global smartphone sales. According to the information, the top four highest-grossing devices from the first quarter stood for iPhones, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.Â
Apple and Samsung Lead Global Smartphone Sales
Over the past few years, Apple and Samsung have remained the top two phone manufacturers in the world in terms of sales. The table below shows this, too.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max was the best-selling smartphone in the first quarter, followed by the base model iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Pro. The Pro models received substantial upgrades, including a new titanium frame and a tetraprism lens on the top-tier Pro Max model.
Counterpoint Research's data shows customer attraction to the new tetraprism lens with 5x optical zoom, exclusive to the top-tier variant. However, the iPhone 15 Plus did not serve well in the sales charts, suggesting buyers favor the iPhone 15 Pro over the Plus model.
One of the most critical changes in the iPhone 15 series was the switch from the Lightning port to the more versatile USB-C, which likely contributed to increased sales as customers saw it as an upgrade option.
While Samsung's Galaxy S-Series has traditionally been the flagship lineup, a large portion of their sales directly arrives from the mid-range A-Series. Yet, in 2024, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has grabbed the top place in sales thanks to its innovative features, such as generative AI, which includes translation and strong image editing abilities. The base model Galaxy S24 has also joined the top 10 list.
Apple and Samsung are expected to dominate the smartphone market in the forthcoming quarters. Prior reports from Counterpoint Research suggest India will be the third-largest iPhone market globally. Apple is growing its presence in India by setting up additional manufacturing units and exclusive offline showrooms.