Updated
Updated · Android Authority · Aug 26
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Tops Q2 Android Sales at $1,300 as Delayed Launch Shifted Demand
Updated
Updated · Android Authority · Aug 26

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Tops Q2 Android Sales at $1,300 as Delayed Launch Shifted Demand

3 articles · Updated · Android Authority · Aug 26

Summary

  • $1,300 Galaxy S26 Ultra became the world’s best-selling Android phone in Q2 2026, the first time an ultra-premium model has led Android sales in a second quarter.
  • Counterpoint attributed the result largely to Samsung’s later-than-usual February 25 launch, which pushed more S26 series sales into Q2 instead of the first quarter.
  • Samsung also placed the base Galaxy S26 in ninth and three Galaxy A models in fifth, sixth and eighth, giving it every Android slot on the top-10 list.
  • Apple still dominated overall handset rankings, with iPhone 17, 17 Pro Max and 17 Pro taking the top three spots, while the iPhone 16 ranked 10th.
  • The showing marks a sharp improvement from Q2 2025, when the Galaxy S25 Ultra was only ninth and the base S25 did not make the list.

Insights

Why did an ultra-expensive Android phone finally conquer global sales charts during a massive market shrinkage?
How did Apple and Samsung manage to increase their revenue while global smartphone sales plummeted by 11 percent?
With budget phones now promising six years of updates, is the era of frequent smartphone upgrades officially dead?