Best-Selling Phones 2025: Which Smartphone Tops the Charts Right Now?

If you asked my kids Soren and Iris, they'd tell you the coolest phone out is whatever lights up at the schoolyard—probably something with a weird pop-socket and a cracked screen. But ask just about anybody else, and you'll get a much more predictable answer, backed up by cold, hard numbers. Forget all the hype around wild phone launches and influencer unboxings. The phone world in 2025 is ruled by sales figures. Right now, the best-selling phone on the planet isn’t from some no-name budget brand, and it isn’t packed with sci-fi features nobody uses, either.

What’s the World’s Best-Selling Phone Right Now?

Here’s the shocker: Apple’s iPhone 15 is still running the show as of June 25, 2025. Even after the splash made by the iPhone 15 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, the regular ol’ iPhone 15 is sitting pretty at the top. According to Counterpoint Research, the iPhone 15 has outsold every other individual smartphone model worldwide from January to May 2025. You’d think at least one Android phone would break through, but no, the iPhone 15 base model—officially released September 2023—is trusty, popular, and leaps ahead in most markets. Here’s why.

First, the iPhone 15 hits the perfect middle ground: the upgrades make enough people want to trade up, but it’s not so expensive that it scares off everyone else. The industry’s famous for hyping up pro and ultra models, but when you get your hands on a device, it’s usually the base model that feels "just right" for the average user. Price tags matter—especially when budgets are squeezed. A lot of people pay for their phones monthly. The iPhone 15, at about $799 US at launch (and usually less now with deals), slides right into that comfortable, affordable flagship spot.

It’s not just the U.S.—the iPhone 15 is king in China, much of Europe, even surprising analysts in India. In Europe, the Samsung Galaxy A55 and Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 are gaining fans for sure, but neither one has toppled the iPhone 15’s sales lead. According to IDC’s global smartphone market data for Q1 2025, iPhones made up about 20% of all smartphone unit sales worldwide—most of those from the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus.

Still not convinced? Look at the resale value. When Iris wanted a used phone to play Roblox without lag, it was the iPhone 15 from a secondhand shop that kept catching my eye. Prices hold steady, even as Android rivals from a year ago dip. People feel like their money’s safer with Apple’s security updates, trade-in programs, and that familiar interface. Face it: Most buyers don’t care about camera megapixels past a certain point or how many AI photo filters their phone has. They want a device that works day in, day out, and that’s what the iPhone 15 delivers.

For anyone doubting these numbers, here’s a helpful chart with the latest sales data (January-May 2025):

So, next time someone brags about their super-premium Galaxy Ultra, you’ll know that more folks are actually pulling that familiar white box out of their pockets.

Why Do People Keep Buying the Same Phones?

Remember when switching phones each year was almost a sport? You’d fork over for a slightly sharper camera, maybe a slightly better screen. Now, folks hold onto devices longer than ever. According to a 2025 Deloitte survey, the average global smartphone replaces their phone every 3.1 years—up from 2.4 years in 2017. So when they do buy, they want reliability, longevity, and just enough new to feel fresh.

The iPhone 15 plays into this psychology. It runs the same top-end processor (A16 Bionic) as its pricier Pro sibling, but uses an aluminum instead of titanium frame, keeping costs down. Battery life actually improved slightly over the iPhone 14, with real-world numbers showing around 14 hours of screen time for most people. Soren has managed to kill one in a single afternoon, mind you—but that’s with hours of YouTube and Minecraft.

Then, of course, there’s the Android loyalty factor. Samsung’s Galaxy S24 absolutely crushed it in South Korea, and even in parts of Europe, Android fans stick with their system out of habit or preference for Google’s services. But the S24 line is split into so many models (S24, S24+, S24 Ultra), so their total sales add up, but each individual model can’t match the iPhone 15 base on its own.

Software support matters, too. Apple offers up to six years of iOS updates. That means the iPhone 15, bought new today, still feels fast and secure years from now—something many Android makers are only now prioritizing. Google’s Pixel phones promise seven years of updates with the Pixel 8 line, but their worldwide presence can’t match Apple yet.

It’s not just adults who care about this. Iris’s friends at school talk about how their phones “last” until high school graduation, which is a real worry for families. No one wants to buy a new phone every year.

There’s the trend of social media and messaging, too. iMessage is still a major force in the U.S. The blue bubble and Apple ecosystem keep teenagers—and their group chats—tied to iPhones. Even as WhatsApp and Signal gain ground elsewhere, that blue bubble magic keeps Apple at the front of the sales race.

"The iPhone’s staying power isn’t just about hardware, it’s about habits—people don’t want to relearn how to use their phone or worry if their photos and texts will transfer." — The Verge, May 2025.

Another reason for the iPhone 15’s dominance is trade-in and financing options. Apple’s upgrade program lets you pay less up front, and carriers worldwide constantly have “free with trade-in” deals. Even people on a tighter budget can get access to a brand-new model, which keeps that sales ticker climbing. Samsung and Xiaomi follow a similar playbook now, but Apple figured it out earlier and has broader reach through its Apple Stores.

Used market? Still strong. That’s how we picked up a second iPhone 15 for Soren when his old phone met its demise under a skateboard wheel. After a weekend of comparing prices, it was obvious the iPhone 15 held value better than Android rivals—making it the obvious smart-buy for families on a budget that plan to resell or hand down phones later.

Tips for Picking the Best-Selling Phone—and Should You Even Bother?

This is where it gets personal. Just because best-selling phone is stamped on the iPhone 15, does that mean it’s the perfect phone for you? That’s debatable. For people who want the most bang for their buck—or who don’t care about Apple’s ecosystem—going with the market leader isn’t strictly necessary.

If you want a straightforward, simple choice, the best-selling phone has some real perks. It’ll have the best case selection, accessories at every electronics shop, and tons of online support. There’s peace of mind knowing your app experience is going to be rock solid, with regular security patches and decent trade-in value in a few years.

But if you like going a different direction, look at what you actually use your phone for. Iris only cares about a camera for TikTok and something that runs games smoothly. In that case, a used iPhone 15 is smart, sure, but so is a Samsung Galaxy S24—the camera on that thing pops, and the AI features mean better selfies and video calls. And for those who want a phone to last four, five, maybe even six years, the iPhone 15 still fits the bill, but the Pixel 8 isn’t far behind, since Google is finally supporting their hardware properly.

Some practical tips if you want to pick up the best-selling phone or one of its close rivals:

• Always compare trade-in offers—different retailers and carriers offer wildly different values, especially during back-to-school and holiday seasons.
• If price matters, look at certified refurbished models. You’ll save 15-25%, and Apple’s refurbished iPhone 15s come with a new battery and warranty.
• Protect your investment. Get a solid case, especially if you’ve got kids like Soren who can somehow shatter Gorilla Glass with one bad drop.
• Consider storage: 128GB is "just enough" for most, but if you take lots of videos, go for 256GB or more—it makes a difference later and adds to resale value.
• Don’t be afraid to wait—annual updates aren’t earth-shattering, and if the phone you like is a year old, you can scoop up deals that are often better than buying the latest version.

The hype around best-sellers is real, but it doesn’t have to trap you. If you love smooth video calls, crisp photos, and reliable updates, the phone at the top of the charts is probably a safe bet. But, if you hate blending in, there’s an ocean of good phones waiting to be discovered—just maybe not at the top of the monthly sales leaderboard.