iPhone 15 Pro Max beats Samsung’s 24 to be best-selling smartphone in Q1

• Consumers opt for high-end smartphones to ensure their devices remain technologically relevant for a longer duration.

Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max was the best-selling smartphone in the first quarter of 2024, achieving the top position for the first time in Apple’s non-seasonal quarter.

According to Counterpoint Research, all four iPhone 15 variants and the iPhone 14 were among the top 10 bestsellers.

Moreover, the iPhone 15 line-up secured the top three spots.

Apple and Samsung dominated the top-10 best-selling smartphones list for the first quarter, each capturing five positions and leaving no spot for other brands.

The growing popularity of the Apple Pro line-up was evident, as it captured half of Apple’s total sales in the quarter and has become the major revenue earner for Apple, contributing over 60 per cent of its sales value the first quarter.

Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series, according to the research firm, secured two spots in the top 10, with its Ultra variant ranking fifth and the base variant coming in ninth.

GenAI: A new level of interaction

The strong performance of the S24 series can be attributed to Samsung’s early refresh of the series, and its efforts in GenAI technology.

The S24 series was the first to reach the market with GenAI features and capabilities, allowing users to create unique content and experience a new level of interaction with their smartphones.

“Consumers are holding onto their smartphones for longer periods because upgrades are offering limited differentiation in features. This leads consumers to opt for high-end smartphones to ensure their devices remain technologically relevant for a longer duration,” the research firm said.

Going forward, the research firm expects the top 10 best-selling smartphones to capture a larger share of total smartphone sales as OEMs are focusing on leaner portfolios with premium features, including GenAI.