The most popular smartphones in 2018

The following statistics are based on mobile web traffic over Q1 2018 to a global network of partner websites using the DeviceAtlas device detection platform.

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Previous reports and insights:

• Most Popular Smartphone Vendors 2015
• Most Popular Smartphones of 2016
• Most Popular Smartphones of 2017

United Kingdom

Apple dominated the scene in the UK, with the top four spots. The iPhone 7 has, predictably, overtaken the 6 as the most popular phone in the nation.

Q1 2018 was a slight improvement for Samsung compared to 2017. The Galaxy S7 has risen from 7th to 5th, with the S8 close behind.

Still no sign of the iPhone 8/X in the top ten, but it's lurking in 12th/13th respectively according to our Data Explorer. It may climb higher up the charts, similar to the progress and popularity of the iPhone 7 over the last few months of 2017.

The Top 20 in the UK was exclusively Apple and Samsung - one of the most binary markets in our data.

Germany

Some positive news for Samsung in Germany, where the Galaxy S7 was the most used smartphone during Q1 2018.

The iPhone 6, 2017's winner, was in 4th spot with its younger sibling, the iPhone 7 hot on the heels of the S7.

Apple's latest offerings, the iPhone 8 and X, didn't make the top ten this time around, but were in 18th and 19th, poised to make a run up the table as their price normalizes and they become more appealing as an upgrade option.

France

The top 4 in France was all Apple territory, with the iPhone 7 switching top spots with the 6, a situation we see in many other countries too.

Last year, places 1-6 were all iPhones, but the iPhone 5's relegation to 20th place in our data shows the upgrade cycle in action - many users may skip a release, holding out for a version of their favourite phone with significant improvements. We can infer that iPhone 5 users are likely to have switched to the 7 over the last 12 months.

Spain

In Spain, the iPhone 7 leapfrogged the 6, the Huawei P8 Lite and the Samsung Galaxy S6 to take top spot in Q1 2018.

Huawei use remained strong, the P8 clinging onto 3rd place. Further down in our Data Explorer, we can see the P9 and P10 Lite in 13th and 19th position. Excluding the three Huawei smartphones, the rest of the top 20 is made up of the usual big two producers.

Italy

The top 4 in Italy is comprised of the same devices as 2017, with the iPhone 7 overtaking the 6 at the top.

Huawei also feature, the P8 Lite in 4th spot again. Unlike Spain, the P9 Lite made the top ten in 7th with 2.87% of web traffic in our data.

Ireland

The Samsung Galaxy S7 lost some ground in Ireland, falling from a 2017 high of 3rd spot to 6th in Q1 2018.

Unlike most other European countries, the iPhone 7 hasn't quite caught up with it's predecessor, but with 8.53% of total traffic included in our study, it's not too far behind the top spot. We expect it to overtake the 6 and 6S in the coming months.

It's a predictable Apple/Samsung top ten, with the Google Nexus 5 being the only outsider in the top 20 this time around.

Poland

Poland's most popular device for Q1 2018 was the Huawei P8 Lite, joined in the top 5 by its sibling the P9.

The iPhone 6 lost over half its share since 2017's report, now languishing in 13th spot with only 1.88% of traffic. Growth of iPhone 7 use hasn't been as strong as in other countries - moving from a 2.3% share in 2017 to 3.34% in Q1. With the P8 first and the Samsung Galaxy A5 in second, perhaps Poland leans towards Android devices over the iOS option.

Russia

In Russia, the iPhone 7 hasn't caught up to the 6, but has overtaken the 5S as the second most used device.

Outside the usual suspects, we see the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 and 4X lurking outside the top ten. Given the success of China's "Little Rice" in India and elsewhere, it's likely we'll be seeing a lot more of their devices in the coming months and years.

Sweden

Sweden has long been iPhone country, and Q1 saw the top three switch places in line with the wider trend.

Samsung have gained some share, the Galaxy 7 growing from 4.4% in 2017 to 5.6% in Q1 2018.

There are no surprises in the top 20, but it's worth noting the absence of the Huawei Honor 8 from our latest data - it was in 19th position last year with a mere 1% of overall traffic.

United States

It's an Apple/Samsung dominated landscape in the US. The iPhone6/7 switch was as predictable as any other developed nation - although the 6 losing almost half its share from 2017 is a somewhat steep decline, dragging it down into third behind the 7 Plus.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 enters the top ten for the first time, having almost trebled its 2017 share of 1.1%.

Excluding carriers (Verizon, AT&T) rebranded Samsung devices, Motorola is the only other manufacturer to feature in our data, but was still a fair bit behind in 20th position with 0.71% share.

Canada

Like Ireland, Canada seems happy enough with the iPhone 6, although the 7 has almost doubled its share since 2017. Strangely, both the iPhone 7 and SE have grown, while the Samsung Galaxy S7 also saw a slight increase in usage.

Brazil

Good news for Samsung in Brazil as the Galaxy J5 increased its share from 2.1% to 5.46%, putting it in second place behind the iPhone 7.

The Motorola Moto G moved from 7th to 6th, while the LG K10 also saw a slight share gain of 0.47%.

Colombia

iPhone 6 still reigns supreme in Colombia and actually increased by 0.35%, as the 7 continues to eat into Samsung and Huawei's 2017 share.

Argentina

2017's most popular phone in Argentina was the iPhone 6, which now finds itself well down the list in 7th position with 2.92% of the overall visits in our data.

Samsung claims all top 4 places, but with the percentages so evenly distributed between the devices in the top 20, Argentina's mobile landscape is as diverse as they get.

India

Our data shows that India had a very interesting Q1.

The rise of the feature phone was the standout landscape shift - our latest Web Intelligence report goes into more detail.

Reliance Jio, India's third largest mobile operator, have been very successful with their recent marketing and promotions around the Lyf devices. So much so, that KaiOS - a feature phone OS based Firefox OS - has overtaken iOS to be the second most used mobile operating system in the country.

Japan

Like the US, Japan loves the iPhone.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge interrupted Apple's top ten sweep last year, but is now nowhere to be seen, although the S8 is in 14th position.

The iPhone 7 stormed into a comfortable lead at the top with 16.82% of the total share, followed by the 6S and 6 (the latter enjoyed a massive 18.5% of 2017's share).

More positive signs for Apple in the fact we see the iPhone X in 5th and the iPhone 8 in 6th. Positions 11-20 (which you can view here) featured a diverse range of devices, including the Sony Experia Z5 and the DoCoMo Aquos Zeta.

Malaysia

Malaysia appears to have bucked a trend - 2017 saw Apple devices in the first 6 spots, led by the iPhone 5. The latest data, however, shows a significant change in smartphone usage.

Samsung lead the way with the Galaxy J2 Prime, with the most popular Apple device - the iPhone 7 Plus - all the way back in 6th, with 2.6% share.

It's been a strong few months for the Oppo A37, now the second most popular device with 5.23%. In 2017, it had a mere 1.1%. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy J1 Ace has done well, quadrupling its share of mobile website traffic recorded in our data.

Australia

As is the case in most English-speaking countries, Australia's most popular phone is the iPhone 7, replacing the iPhone 6 which dropped to 3rd place.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 remained at similar levels to 2017, whereas the S8 jumped from 1.5% share to over 5% in Q1.

The top 20 most used devices were all Apple or Samsung made.

South Africa

No dramatic changes in the device landscape in South Africa, with the 7/6 switch being the most notable movement at the top.

Egypt

The iPhone 6 remains the most popular device in Egypt, where a variety of Samsung devices have lost share to the rest of the Apple family.

The iPhone X makes an appearance in 16th position with 1.44%.

Nigeria

With over twice the share compared to 2017 data, the iPhone 7 is the 3rd most used device in Nigeria. The 6 remains on top.

Want even more data?

Visit our Data Explorer to view stats for every device in your country or region.

Main Image By Maurizio Pesce from Milan, Italia (Samsung Galaxy S6 edge vs Apple iPhone 6) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons.