The topic Galaxy S26 Ultra outsold its predecessor, but still dropped off of 2026’s first top… is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
The numbers are in for Q1 2026 and, for the first time in a while, Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra almost managed to crack the top 10.
As reported by Counterpoint Research, the top 10 best-selling smartphones of Q1 2026 were, unsurprisingly, dominated by iPhones and budget Android devices. The base iPhone 17 in particular made up 6% of global smartphone sales in Q1 2026. Apparently, the top 10 list alone made up 25% of global smartphone sales in Q1, “the highest Q1 concentration ever.”
The Galaxy S26 Ultra apparently “narrowly” missed the top 10, Counterpoint says, with “stronger initial sales compared to its predecessor.”
Samsung’s 2026 flagship, Galaxy S26 Ultra ranked narrowly missed the top 10 list, registering stronger initial sales compared to its predecessor. The key highlight for the smartphone has been the privacy display, first in the industry along with AI feature upgrades.
For 2025 as a whole, the Galaxy S25 Ultra took the #9 spot, but in Q1, it actually managed to hit the #7 spot. So, despite the rise in sales, the Galaxy S26 Ultra still lost out to budget models and iPhones for the top 10. This can likely be attributed to that “higher concentration” – if there are more buyers in that top 10, it takes all that more to make it into that top 10.