These Are The Best-Selling Phones Of All Time

In 2021, the world had 7.1 billion mobile phone users, roughly 90% of the global population. The mobile phone is now one of humanity’s most ubiquitous pieces of technology, and these sleek modern devices are a far cry from their hefty, brick-like predecessors.

But what are the most sold mobile phones of all time?

Using data from Wikipedia, Yahoo Finance, and tech analyst firm Omdia, Visual Capitalist’s Pallavi Rao charts out the sales of the mobile phones that have enjoyed unmitigated success.

The Most Sold Mobile Phones of All Time

Heading the list of most sold phones ever is the much-beloved Nokia 1100, recording more than 250 million sales in six years before being discontinued in 2009.

Despite existing at the same time as the first mass-market smartphones (the Nokia E-series and then the iPhone), the 1100s’ price, focus on basic functionality, and pocket size made it a favorite in developing countries.

At second place, another variant of the same line, the Nokia 1110, sold 248 million units.

Rank	Mobile Phone	All-Time Sales
1	Nokia 1100	250M
2	Nokia 1110	248M
3	iPhone 6/6 Plus	222M
4	Nokia 105 Series	200M
5	iPhone 6S/6S Plus	174M
6	iPhone 5s	165M
7	Nokia 3210	161M
8	iPhone 7/7 Plus	160M
9	iPhone 11/11 Pro/ 11 Pro Max	159M
10	iPhone XR/ XS/XS Max	151M
11T	Nokia 6600	150M
11T	Nokia 1200	150M
11T	Nokia 5230	150M
11T	Samsung E1100	150M
15	iPhone 5	146M
16	Nokia 2600/ 2610/2626/2630	135M
17T	Motorola RAZR V3	130M
17T	Nokia 1600/ 1650/1661	130M
19	Nokia 3310	126M
20	iPhone 8/8 Plus	125M

Ranked third is the iPhone 6 and 6 plus, with a combined 222 million units. Their 4.7 and 5.5-inch screens ushered in the era of large screen smartphones, and they remain Apple’s best-selling iPhones and the best-selling smartphones of all time. In fact, the iPhone 6 was so popular it was re-released in 2017 at a mid-range price level.

The next 17 ranks of the most sold phones are split between Nokias and iPhones, with only the Samsung E1100 (ranked 11th) and and the Motorola Razr V3 (ranked 17th) managing to break the duopoly.

Of course, Nokia and Apple have had very different fortunes in the last decade.

After riding telecom market deregulation, first in Europe, and then in Asia, Nokia failed the transition to smartphones and quickly lost ground to Apple, Google and Samsung.

Microsoft purchased Nokia’s mobile phone business in 2014 to boost their own Windows Phone, but when that failed, Nokia’s phone business was once again sold to HMD Global. Today, HMD Global still makes Nokia phones (including revamps of earlier models) which run on Android OS.

The Modern Mobile Phone Rivalry: Apple vs. Samsung

It’s hard to believe how quickly Apple’s core business has changed from personal computing to mobile phones.

In 2009 iPhone sales contributed about 25% to the company’s revenues. By 2023, half of Apple’s $383 billion revenue came from their phones.

The iPhone routinely dominates the top 10 best-selling phones every year, as evidenced from research by tech analysts Omdia.

2022 Best Sellers	2022 Sales	2023 Best Sellers	2023 Sales
iPhone 13	55M	iPhone 14 Pro Max	31M
Galaxy A13	35M	iPhone 14	26M
iPhone 13 Pro Max	29M	iPhone 14 Pro	24M
iPhone 14 Pro Max	23M	iPhone 13	22M
iPhone 11	21M	Galaxy A14	20M
iPhone 13 Pro	19M	Galaxy A14 5G	14M
iPhone 14 Pro	18M	Galaxy A54 5G	14M
Galaxy A03 Core	18M	Galaxy S23 Ultra	13M
iPhone 14	17M	Galaxy A04e	11M
Galaxy A03	16M	Redmi 12C	11M

Source: Data shared by Omdia. Note: 2023 numbers are current up to Q3, 2023.

However, Korean electronics behemoth Samsung’s sales figures aren’t exactly lackluster either. And while the two companies’ business models differ quite a bit, their flagship devices are routinely put up against each other: Samsung winning on battery life and mid and lower-range options, and Apple winning on optimization and security. Both brands have stellar cameras.

And while Apple rules the U.S. smartphone market (52% market share), Samsung edges them out globally with a 22% market share, compared to Apple’s 19%.