Apple's iPhone dominated smartphone sales in 2022

The iPhone topped the list of best-selling smartphones of 2022 by a wide margin.

Apple continues to be the world’s best-selling smartphone maker, with iPhone lines holding eight of the top ten spots in the 2022 global sales rankings.

Apple’s iPhone line is consistently popular with consumers, with models often topping sales lists. In the new world ranking of the best-selling smartphones of 2022, Apple managed to dominate again.

According to Counterpoint Research’s Global Top 10 Smartphones list, which uses data from the analytics firm’s Global Monthly Handset Model Sales Tracker, iPhones rank eight, including the top three positions.

iPhone 13 Pro was fifth with 1.6%, iPhone 12 sixth with 1.5%, iPhone 14 seventh with 1.4% and iPhone 14 Pro eighth with 1.2%. The 2022 iPhone SE ends Apple’s lead in ninth place with 1.1%.

The only other supplier on the list was Samsung, whose longtime rival ranked fourth with 1.6% for the Galaxy A13 and tenth for the Galaxy A03 with 1.1%.

[Counterpoint]

The sales figures for the iPhone 13 were impressive, taking the top spot from January to August before dropping to a respectable 4th place monthly. Counterpoint also claims that it was the top-selling smartphone in markets such as China, the UK, the US, Germany, and France.

It was also the first time the Pro Max variant had more volume than other models of the same generation, with the iPhone 14 Pro Max doing just that from September to November. Early adopters and those who upgraded to the higher variant are cited as contributors to its success.

“We believe the share of the top 10 smartphones will increase in 2023 as brands focus on clearing inventory and streamlining their launches,” Counterpoint predicts a year ahead.

The company continued by warning: “We also expect brands to continue to reduce their portfolios in 2023 to minimize cannibalization. The number of active smartphone models on the global market has already fallen from over 4,200 in 2021 to around 3,600 in 2022.”

While this may apply to much of the smartphone market, Apple’s continued success will likely see it continue to offer its usual product range.

The 2022 results reflect similar rankings from 2021, when Counterpoint said the iPhone took seven positions on the list, including a block of the top five positions.