iPhone 15 Pro Max Emerges as Best Selling Smartphone in Q1 2024 as Apple, Samsung Dominate Top 10 List: Report

Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max was the best-selling model in Q1 2024, according to a report by a market research firm. The company's flagship phones reportedly contributed to over half of Apple's sales value in the same quarter. Four of the top five smartphones were from recent iPhone models, and the top 10 bestsellers were smartphones from both Apple and Samsung. Seven out of 10 models were high-end smartphones, while — in a first — all handsets in the list were 5G capable.

The latest Global Monthly Handset Model Sales Tracker by Counterpoint Research shows that Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max and the standard iPhone 15 model were in first and second place, respectively. In fact, all four models in Apple's latest smartphone lineup were part of the top 10 best-selling smartphone list — the iPhone 15 Pro was in the third spot followed by the iPhone 14, while the iPhone 15 Plus came in eighth.

Just like Apple, South Korean tech conglomerate Samsung also had five smartphones in Counterpoint's top-10 best-selling smartphones list. in Q1 2024, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra was in the fifth spot as the company's top-selling handset. It was followed by the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G and Galaxy A54 in sixth and seventh spots, respectively.

The list of top 10 best selling hansdets in Q1 2024 (left) comprises 5G capable phones
Photo Credit: Counterpoint

The standard Galaxy S24 model was ninth in the list of Counterpoint's top-10 handsets in terms of sales in Q1 2024. The phone came in behind the iPhone 15 Plus, which was a spot higher, according to the market research firm. The Galaxy A34 is the tenth phone in the market research firm's list of top-selling smartphones. 

Apple's iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max offered better hardware compared to the company's standard models, and the differentiation led to more customers picking the high-end models, according to Counterpoint. These include a new Action button, a powerful A17 Pro chip, telephoto camera, and a titanium body.

Similarly, Samsung's Galaxy S24 series of smartphones arrived with new generative AI (GenAI) features such as Circle to Search, Browsing Assist, and real time translation for calls. Counterpoint also notes that premium features like GenAI are expected to feature on more smartphones, as customers are waiting for longer periods before upgrading their handsets, due to limited hardware differentiation.