The Best-Selling Phone Worldwide Last Year Was the 'iPhone 13'

Counterpoint Research Survey Results Announced
8 of Top 10 Are iPhones... 2 Are Galaxy

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] Last year, the iPhone 13 emerged as the best-selling smartphone worldwide. Among the top 10 best-selling models, eight were Apple iPhones, and the remaining two were Samsung Electronics' Galaxy models.

On the 8th, Counterpoint Research announced these findings.

2022 Global Top 10 Smartphone Sales Market Share and Monthly Rankings
[Photo by Counterpoint Research]

The best-selling smartphone globally last year was Apple's iPhone 13. It held a 5% share of the total market, making it the top-selling device in major markets such as China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. After the release of the iPhone 14 series, sales increased in developing countries due to price reductions. The iPhone 13 accounts for 28% of total iPhone sales.

The 2nd and 3rd best-selling smartphones were also iPhones. The second best-selling smartphone was the iPhone 13 Pro Max (2.6%). The third place was taken by the iPhone 14 Pro Max (1.7%). This is the first time that the iPhone Pro series outsold the base models. Although the iPhone 14 series was released in September last year, the iPhone 14 (1.4%) ranked 7th, and the iPhone 14 Pro (1.2%) ranked 8th, showing strong performance. The iPhone 12, released in 2020, is the oldest model among the top 10 smartphones but remained popular in markets such as the United States, Japan, and China, ranking 6th (1.5%).

On the other hand, Samsung Electronics' Galaxy had two models in the top 10. The Galaxy A13 (1.6%) ranked 4th, and the Galaxy A03 (1.1%) ranked 10th, both LTE entry-level models. This popularity was influenced by regions such as Latin America and India. This was an improvement compared to last year, when only one Galaxy A12 ranked 6th. However, flagship models like the Galaxy S series or foldable phones did not make the list.

The top 10 best-selling products accounted for about 19% of total smartphone sales, similar to the previous year.

Xiaomi, which ranked 7th and 10th last year with the Redmi 9A (1.9%) and Redmi 9 (1.1%), respectively, fell out of the top 10 this year.

Counterpoint Research stated, "As brands focus on inventory clearance and launch optimization, the market share of the top 10 smartphones is expected to increase in 2023. Additionally, brands are expected to continue streamlining their portfolios in 2023 to minimize cannibalization. At the same time, brands will focus on premiumizing their portfolios to convert volume into profitability."