Apple dominates the global top 10 smartphones of 2025, but Samsung’s flagship still offers one of the most capable phone cameras on the market

According to Counterpoint Research’s Global Handset Model Sales Tracker, Apple‘s iPhone 16 was the world’s best-selling smartphone of 2025 – not the Pro, Pro Max, or Ultra model you might expect.

Across the global Top 10, Apple captured seven of the ten spots, underlining just how dominant its ecosystem remains – even as Android brands push harder on mobile photography with ever-higher megapixels, extreme periscope zooms, and increasingly aggressive AI features.

So, let’s dive in and take a look at the numbers, and explore why this smartphone might not be the smartest choice for mobile photographers…

Global Top 10 best-selling smartphones, 2025 (Counterpoint)

1. iPhone 16
2. iPhone 16 Pro Max
3. iPhone 16 Pro
4. iPhone 17 Pro Max
5. Galaxy A16 5G
6. Galaxy A06 4G
7. iPhone 17
8. iPhone 15
9. Galaxy S25 Ultra
10. iPhone 16e

The iPhone 16 doesn’t win spec-sheet battles. It lacks ProRaw, skips long optical zoom, and relies on a simpler dual-camera setup.

It isn’t Apple’s cheapest phone – that role belongs to the iPhone 16e – nor is it the most powerful camera-rich model in the lineup.

What it is, however, is Apple’s most balanced mainstream phone.