Apple remains in the dominant position in the mobile device race as the iPhone 7 is hailed as the best-selling smartphone in the second quarter of 2017. Surprisingly rounding up the top five most popular smartphones is a product of a Chinese startup.
Apple has shipped out more than 16.9m units of iPhone 7 around the world in the last quarter, a criterion that catapults it as the best-selling smartphone in Q2 2017. The iPhone 7 Plus follows behind with 15.1m units delivered.
The competition has been tight for Apple's strong rival Samsung, tailing after the Cupertino iPhone maker. The Galaxy S8 is in the third spot with 10.2m units sold while the Galaxy S8 Plus follows with 9m units shipped.
Strategy Analytics, an independent research firm based in Boston, released a report published on 10 August detailing the latest milestones of the smartphone industry on a global scale. According to the data it presented, smartphone shipments worldwide in Q2 2017 reached 360.4m units.
The company's security analyst Juha Winters stresses the popularity of the iPhone 7 is "due to a compelling blend of user-friendly design, extensive supporting apps, and widespread retail presence for the device".
Executive director Neil Mawston, on the other hand, says Samsung Galaxy S8 became the world's most popular Android smartphone in an instant "due to its attractive curved-screen design, a rich portfolio of software apps, and best-in-class retail distribution across dozens of countries".
In the industry that is largely dominated by Apple, Samsung and other OEM veterans, Chinese startup Xiaomi rounds up the fifth spot with Xiaomi Red 4A. Strategy Analytics estimated a total of 5.5m shipments for the Xiaomi Red 4A, which holds a huge market share in Asia.
Xiaomi recently dislodged Apple as the fourth biggest smartphone vendor in China after Huawei, Oppo and Vivo.
