According to research agency Counterpoint, only two Android devices made it into the top ten best-selling smartphones worldwide in 2022. Those were Samsung’s budget devices Galaxy A03 and Galaxy A13. The remaining eight places were taken by Apple’s iPhones, with the iPhone 13 at the top of the list.
Eight of the ten best-selling smartphones in 2022 were iPhones
Apple usually dominates these charts and it’s not surprising. Since the company only launches a handful of models a year, people looking to buy iPhones don’t have much of a choice. They end up buying one of the recent iPhone models, which increases volumes. On the other hand, the sheer amount of options in the Android space means there’s no default choice here. Whatever your budget or wishes, you will always find several models that meet all criteria.
That has been the case for years and that is not changing any time soon. In fact, Apple is increasingly benefiting from the growing competition in the Android field. It had eight iPhone models in its top ten best-selling smartphones for the first time last year. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max were the monthly leaders from January to August, so until the arrival of the iPhone 14 series. The iPhone 14 Pro Max was the crowd favorite for the next three months, with the iPhone 14 topping the list in December.
Overall, the iPhone 13 accounted for five percent of all smartphones sold last year. It was followed by the iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max. The Samsung Galaxy A13 is in fourth place, followed by the iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone SE 2022 and Galaxy A03. Counterpoint says the latest iPhone Pro Max model has outsold the Pro and base models for the first time.
“Major improvements in the iPhone 14 Pro series, such as a dynamic island and a faster processor, make it more attractive as the base model is almost identical to last year’s model,” the research firm explains. In terms of Android, Samsung’s Galaxy A13, the successor to 2021’s best-selling Galaxy A12 smartphone, has been a popular choice in the Caribbean, Latin America and India.
Android OEMs are shrinking their smartphone portfolios
The top ten best-selling smartphones accounted for nearly 19 percent of total shipments last year. Counterpoint estimates that this share will grow in 2023. That’s because Android OEMs are shrinking their smartphone portfolios. In 2022, there were approximately 3,600 smartphones active on the global market, more than 14 percent less than the more than 4,200 in 2021. This number may fall even further this year. “Brands will focus on premiumizing their portfolios to convert volumes into profitability,” said Counterpoint.
