Samsung’s most budget models have just achieved a headline‑grabbing: both the Galaxy A16 5G and Galaxy A06 4G were among the best selling Android phones globally recently, and they both outsold Apple’s entry iPhone 16e, figure from Counterpoint Research most recent model tracker tells us.
Apple remained in control at the very top of the chart, with the iPhone 16, 16 Pro Max and 16 Pro taking the first three positions, but this quarter was more about Android’s low-end, where attractive pricing and reach outweighed brand loyalty.
What the rankings reveal
Counterpoint’s top ten – to Dec Samsung being the global leader, followed by three caps and d a o gap lanes of e iPhones – 1; Galaxy A16 5G at four and Galaxy A06 4G at five; iPhone 16e at six. Samsung’s Galaxy A16 4G and the Galaxy S25 Ultra came in seventh and eighth, respectively, while Xiaomi’s Redmi 14C 4G smartphone also featured on the list. Apple’s iPhone 16 Plus didn’t even crack the top ten, famously.
The positioning is not a launch‑timing aberration. Apple’s budget‑tier model had been available in the market already, which means consumers were actively choosing cheaper Android devices over the newest — and least expensive — iPhone.
Price, not hype, makes mass‑market winners
Pricing tells the tale. The Galaxy A16 5G costs about $200 and the A06 4G runs around $110, while the iPhone 16e starts at $599. For prepaid‑channel buyers, first‑time smartphone owners and cost‑sensitive upgraders, that gap is insurmountable. Even with trade‑in programs or carrier promos, three‑to‑five‑hundred-dollar deltas are difficult to close outside premium postpaid plans.
This corresponds to general market behavior. Both IDC and Canalys have said that, while premium devices account for most profits, the world is obscenely skewed at shipment volumes sitting south of $250. That’s the very turf the A16 and A06 inhabit, and where Android brands can ramp quickly.
Samsung’s quiet superpower is distribution reach
Above sticker price, Samsung’s distribution engine is what counts. It’s everywhere: operator shelves, national retail chains, independent storefronts from Southeast Asia to Latin America and Africa. That ubiquity was clearly going to keep the mill tumbling and product in shoppers’ sightlines, however much these things can sometimes be overruled by spec sheets.
There is software support to consider as well. Purchasers in value tiers are asking more often about security updates and battery health. Samsung’s well‑covered multiyear update policy on the mainstream lines, although briefer than its flagships, makes reflex buyers playing it safe — Apple holdouts cautious of experimenting with a new brand when buying anything other than premium smartphones — more likely to convert.
Why Redmi at Xiaomi matters
Xiaomi’s Redmi 14C 4G in the top ten illustrates this second trend: growth in emerging markets is driven by strong 4G demand.
Redmi’s momentum can be attributed to markets such as Latin America, Middle East and Africa where 4G is reliable, battery life is long and replacement cost low trumps 5G headline speeds.
That calculus exerts pressure on every brand’s entry tier. When good enough performance, good enough camera quality and model level durability are into a $120 to $150 device — it can be an absolute unit share stealer versus both Android competitors as well as Apple’s lower tier.
Apple’s takeaway at the low end
Apple’s main strategy — making money on premium devices and selling more affordable midtier models to capture price‑point buckets — still works, as indicated by the top three positions. But the iPhone 16e’s spot on the chart signals that the company’s new low‑tier price is not hitting where volumes are. The omission of the iPhone 16 Plus from top ten list also points towards issues in portfolio calibration.
Apple’s recent alterations in its product lineup, such as the iPhone Air, suggest that the company is playing with new segmentation. If the goal is to preserve unit share (while not losing margin) you may need to have Apple either get tighter with regional pricing, punch even harder on the entry model’s carrier relationships or completely rethink what ‘budget iPhone’ means.
Premium halo still does work
Samsung’s presence in the top 10 with the Galaxy S25 Ultra is a testament to a simple fact: even as small budget models generate volume, ultra‑premium flagships build brand halo, drive ecosystem stickiness and lift average selling prices. For several cycles now, Canalys and other firms have documented this “barbell” effect — big volumes on value, big profits on premium.
Put another way, Apple and Samsung can win at both ends; but the surprise of the quarter was how convincingly Android’s lower-value tier trumped Apple’s newest low‑price door-opener.
Bottom line
Counterpoint’s most recent rankings, however, confirm that affordability and availability remain the two biggest factors when it comes to purchasing a smartphone. Samsung’s Galaxy A16 5G and A06 4G weren’t just No. 1 on Android — they even outperformed the most affordable new iPhone by units. The lesson for Apple is stark: to win mass‑market share, price and channel execution and perceived value need to be in perfect alignment as they are at the high end.