Analysis institutions have ranked the top 10 best-selling mobile phones globally. Data shows that Apple occupies the top four positions, while Samsung takes up five spots. Only one Chinese mobile phone model made it to the list, indicating that Apple and Samsung are the winners in the global mobile phone market, which is consistent with their top two positions in the market.

Of course, from the best-selling list, it can also be seen that Apple is not as dominant as before. In the past, not only the latest iPhone models but also some older ones were on the list. At its best, Apple occupied seven spots on the list. However, it's still impressive that Apple maintains four spots today.

Apple's older phone models failed to make the list, which is closely related to the significant price reduction of the iPhone 15. Sales of the iPhone 15 since its launch last year have been less than ideal, prompting Apple to continuously lower its price. In the domestic market, the price of the iPhone 15 dropped below 4,500 yuan in May this year, while the price reduction of older models like the iPhone 14 was not significant. In such a scenario, the cost-effectiveness of the iPhone 14 was not high, and many consumers preferred to buy the newer iPhone 15 instead.

Samsung, on the other hand, has made significant progress. Its high-end S24 model made it to the list, along with three other mid-to-low-end phones, including a 4G model with an ultra-low price. It is evident that Samsung now relies heavily on its mid-to-low-end phones to sustain sales volume, ensuring its leading position in the global mobile phone market.

Compared to Samsung and Apple, only one Chinese phone model made it to the list. Although the model has a brand-new name, it is equipped with MediaTek's G85 chip, which has been used in a domestic mobile phone since its launch and has contributed to its consistent appearance on the best-selling top 10 list. Now, although the phone's name has changed, the chip remains the same G85, essentially offering the same experience at an ultra-low price.

Data from the second quarter of this year shows that the top three mobile phone brands globally are Samsung, Apple, and Xiaomi. Samsung remains the top global mobile phone brand with shipments reaching 53.5 million units, a year-on-year increase of only 1%, but it is the only brand with shipments exceeding 50 million units.

Apple, in second place, and Xiaomi, in third, are competing for the second position in the global mobile phone market. Apple remains in second place, but its shipment growth rate is only 6%. Xiaomi's shipment growth rate, on the other hand, is as high as 27%, narrowing the gap with Apple to just 2.3 million units. At this growth rate, Xiaomi could potentially overtake Apple and take second place in the global mobile phone market in the third quarter of this year, with Apple likely to remain in first place in the fourth quarter.

It can be seen that Apple's iPhone 15, launched last year, has not performed as well as expected, resulting in its shipments not significantly outpacing Xiaomi's. This is despite Apple's aggressive price cuts and promotions in the second quarter of this year, suggesting that Apple has already made every effort to boost sales. Unfortunately, Xiaomi is still narrowing the gap.

Apple has pinned its hopes on this year's iPhone 16, which is rumored to have multiple improvements, including AI technology and three high-resolution cameras, potentially making its photography performance even more powerful. Another suspense is whether the A18 processor in the iPhone 16 can significantly boost performance. From A15 to A17, the performance of Apple's processors has only improved by about 10% with each generation, narrowing the gap with Qualcomm's chips. The industry has been eagerly anticipating a more significant performance boost from Apple, but the company has disappointed with the last three generations of its processors.

It is evident that both in terms of best-selling mobile phones and sales volume, Samsung and Apple are the biggest winners. However, Chinese mobile phone manufacturers are also making efforts, particularly Xiaomi, whose sales growth is evident and posing an increasing threat to Apple. This has forced Apple to continue offering significant price cuts, with the iPhone 15 experiencing faster and more significant price drops than any previous iPhone model.