14 DAY TRIAL // Research firm IHS Markit conducted an analysis that revealed the world’s best-selling smartphones of last year. According to the firm, Apple’s iPhone 6s outsold all competing smartphones from last year and landed on the top position.
Apple’s iPhone 6s was the most popular smartphone in 2016, followed by iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, according to the research firm which tracks quarterly shipment data for more than 350 smartphone models.
Samsung’s Galaxy S7 edge landed on the fifth spot, followed by the affordable Galaxy J3 and a number of other Samsung smartphones, including the Galaxy S7. Samsung’s flagship phablet, the Galaxy Note 7, wasn’t mentioned in the study.
The phone was recalled last year due to faulty batteries that caused the device to overheat. Samsung eventually discontinued it and focused on promoting the Galaxy S7 as its flagship phone. The situation will change on March 29, when the new Galaxy S8 will be announced.
iPhone 6s outsold Samsung’s Galaxy S7 edge
The research firm didn’t release shipment estimates, but the chart does show that about 60 million iPhone 6s were shipped, while Samsung’s Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy J3 (2016), Galaxy J5, Galaxy S7 and J7 shipped in about 25 million units each.
Interestingly, Huawei is the third biggest smartphone marker in the world, but it wasn’t mentioned in the study. Oppo’s A53 is the only smartphone not made by Samsung or Apple to be featured in the index of most-shipped smartphones in 2016, with approximately 25 million units. The brand is quite popular in markets such as China and India.
It’s worth mentioning that the figures are estimated and that the shipments don’t necessarily reflect sales. But it’s safe to say that Apple’s products appeared to be more popular last year than Samsung’s premium smartphones.
A similar study showed that Apple grabbed 79% of global smartphone profits in 2016, while Samsung managed to record only 14.6%.