Galaxy S26 Ultra sales beat predecessor but missed 2026’s top 10

The first quarter of 2026 is now in the books, and Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra came closer than any recent flagship to breaking into the global top 10 best-selling smartphones. According to fresh data from Counterpoint Research, however, it still fell just short.

The Q1 2026 rankings were, as expected, heavily tilted toward Apple’s iPhone lineup and affordable Android devices. The standard iPhone 17 alone captured 6% of worldwide sales during the quarter. Counterpoint noted that the entire top 10 list accounted for a staggering 25% of all smartphones sold globally in Q1, calling it “the highest Q1 concentration ever.”

The Galaxy S26 Ultra “narrowly” missed making that cut, according to the firm. The device posted stronger initial sales than its predecessor, the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which is a clear sign of improved momentum. Samsung’s 2026 flagship has drawn attention for its privacy display, a first for the industry, along with meaningful AI feature upgrades.

To put the numbers in context, the Galaxy S25 Ultra secured the #9 spot for the full year of 2025. More impressively, it climbed to #7 in Q1 2025 alone. So while the S26 Ultra is selling better out of the gate, it still couldn’t outpace the budget models and iPhones that dominate the top 10 list. That likely comes down to the higher concentration of sales among those top devices. When a larger share of the market is funneled into just ten models, the bar for entry rises, making it tougher for any premium phone to squeeze in.