Samsung's Cheapest Smartphones Are Outselling The Galaxy S26 Ultra In 2026

The Galaxy S26 series was launched in the first quarter of 2026, but the highest-end model in the series was not the best-selling Samsung phone during the period. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the most feature-rich flagship model of the Galaxy S26 series, featuring an S Pen stylus and an exclusive Privacy Display feature, but it's also the most expensive, starting at $1,299.99. According to Counterpoint Research's market analysis for the first quarter of 2026, Samsung's cheapest Galaxy A phones outsold the Galaxy S26 Ultra during the period.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra "narrowly missed the top 10 list" according to the analysts. The top 10, led by three iPhone 17 series models, contained five other Samsung phones, including the Galaxy A07, Galaxy A17 5G, Galaxy A56, Galaxy A36, and Galaxy A17 4G. The sales performance of Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra may seem surprising, but it's not an exception. This isn't the first year that Samsung's flagships have failed to outperform the more affordable Galaxy A handsets.

Counterpoint Research also showed that the Galaxy A16 and Galaxy A06 outsold the Galaxy S25 Ultra in Q1 2025. The Galaxy S24 Ultra was an exception, ranking higher than the Galaxy A15, Galaxy A54, Galaxy S24, and Galaxy A05 a year earlier. In Q1 2023, the Galaxy S23 Ultra ranked sixth in the same top 10, with the Galaxy A13 series coming in fifth. That top 10 included the Galaxy A04e, the Galaxy A14 5G, and the Galaxy A53. Counterpoint Research released figures for the month of April in 2022 that showed the Galaxy S22 Ultra was the most popular Samsung Android phone of that period, without sharing a report for the first quarter of that year. In Q1 2021, the Galaxy S21 Ultra wasn't in the top 10.

Like Apple, Samsung doesn't disclose smartphone figures by model when reporting quarterly earnings. But market research reports like the ones Counterpoint Research releases regularly reflect Samsung's broad strategy. Unlike Apple, Samsung releases a variety of Galaxy smartphones at various price points to meet the needs of a broad market. The Galaxy A07 that outsold the Galaxy S26 Ultra costs under $100, targeting users in emerging markets like India. Counterpoint Research notes that the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America were the main markets contributing to the Galaxy A07's popularity during the quarter.

Comparatively, Apple manufactures only high-end iPhones each year, many of which usually outsell all competitors during the Q1 quarter, including those affordable Galaxy A models that sell better than Samsung's best Galaxy S handsets. Apple doesn't cater to the same buyers Samsung does, which may be another reason why Samsung is able to capture a large share of the market with affordable Galaxy A handsets. Samsung is pursuing consumers who will ignore expensive iPhone and Galaxy S devices.

Other factors may also influence those Q1 rankings, including Samsung's launch timing. The Galaxy S26 series was unveiled in late February, about a month later than its predecessor. While the Galaxy S26 Ultra outsold the Galaxy S25 Ultra initially, according to Counterpoint Research data, it was on sale for a shorter time during the first quarter of 2026 than the Galaxy A07, which was launched in August 2025. The Galaxy S24 Ultra was launched in mid-January 2024, which can explain why the handset outsold Galaxy A models in the first quarter of 2024. Also, the Galaxy S24 series was the first to feature the Galaxy AI platform, which may have generated extra interest.