Best selling smartphones by year (2011-2021)

The best-selling smartphones between 2011 and 2021 have been the subject of constant curiosity. It would not be wrong to say that the competition has become tougher, especially with the rapid development of technology in recent times. The figures in the smartphone market, where a fierce race draws attention, also confirm this.

So, what are the best selling smartphones in the past 11 years? Here in this article, we have compiled the most preferred models of users year by year for you.

Best selling smartphones in the last 11 years

The smartphone market, where the number of innovations started to increase, has revealed different preferences with the development of iOS and Android operating systems. While companies offered products directly to the market with innovations that users might like, significant changes in their market shares welcomed the technology world. Many companies, which were very popular especially in the early 2000s, had a hard time keeping up with the developing era. If you’re ready, let’s take a look at the devices listed by unit sales.

2011-iPhone 4S

The smartphone that Apple launched in 2011 was also a turning point for the company. The company, which welcomed its users with the first iPhone in 2007, always lagged behind its competitors in terms of unit sales. However, when the calendars showed 2011, Apple topped with the iPhone 4S and successfully completed its revolution in the smartphone world. The company’s device surpassed the number of unit sales of exactly 60 million.

2012-Samsung Galaxy S III

We can say that Galaxy S III is perhaps one of the most iconic models released by Samsung. The smartphone, which was very popular with its performance during its release, also manages to enter our list of best-selling smartphones. Reaching the same number of sales as the iPhone 5, the device draws attention with successfully overcoming the period when the competition was heating up. However, the number of sales reached by the smartphone in 2012 is exactly 70 million.

2013-Samsung Galaxy S4

Galaxy S III performance in 2012 strengthened Samsung’s hand for the next year. The company, which released the next device in the series, managed to get a serious difference to its biggest rival, Apple. Competing with the iPhone 5S, the Galaxy S4 sold 28 million more units. The smartphone closed the year with 80 million unit sales.

2014-iPhone 6 series

Falling behind its biggest rival Samsung in 2012 and 2013, Apple decided to make more innovative experiments with the iPhone 6 series. The company, which normally releases a single model, surprised the technology world by releasing two devices for the first time. Apple, which wants to offer more alternatives to its users, has also achieved success with this move. Because the iPhone 6 series left behind a record that is hard to reach, leaving behind the sales number of exactly 222.4 million.

2015-Samsung Galaxy S6 series

Analyzing the success of the iPhone 6 well, Samsung has once again become the leader of the best-selling smartphones list in 2015 with the Galaxy S6 series. The company, which came to the fore again in the period when the competition in the smartphone market was getting hotter, was also able to achieve what it wanted in sales figures. The Galaxy S6 series has reached 45 million unit sales worldwide.

2016- iPhone 6S

Having swept the market with the iPhone 6 series, Apple wanted to continue the same success with its next device. The iPhone 6S, which welcomes the users as a continuation of the series, has managed to become the number one smartphone of 2016, although it does not have major innovations. The device achieved unit sales of 60 million.

2017- iPhone 7 series

Apple, which left behind record sales figures with the iPhone 6, had released such a successful device that even the iPhone 6S series was negatively affected by this situation. The company, which lost the leadership in 2015, continued 2016 with innovative moves. The company reached 78.3 million unit sales with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. In addition, the series managed to open the doors of the golden age for the new company in the market.

2018-iPhone 8 series

Leaving behind its 10th year in the smartphone world, Apple has once again reached the top. The company offered 3 devices in total, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. The iPhone 8 series, which attracted the admiration of its users, reached 86.3 million sales. While the iPhone X took the second place, the company managed to get a big difference over its biggest rival Samsung.

2019-iPhone XR

Apple, which changed the name for a short time with the iPhone X, expanded the series with different models. The company, which also released 3 different devices, also focused on price performance. While the iPhone XS and XS Max models stand out more in terms of performance, the XR series welcomed its users as a cheap alternative. However, the smartphone became the best-selling phone of 2018 with 77.4 million sales units.

2020-iPhone 11

The success of the iPhone XR has turned the eyes of the technology world back to Apple. The company, which stands out with its affordable model, aimed at the same thing with the iPhone 11. The smartphone, which is the cheapest member of the series, managed to reach 102 million sales worldwide.

2021-iPhone 12

The last member of our list of the best-selling smartphones of the last 11 years comes from Apple again. Now accustomed to the summit, the company continues to make a name for itself with the iPhone 12 series. In the smartphone market, where the figures have not been finalized yet because the year has not been completed, the device constitutes a significant part of the trade volume. While 5% of the sales in the market are iPhone 12, it is followed by the iPhone 12 Pro Max with 4%.