Best-selling mobile phones in history: iPhone is NOT number one

The best-selling mobile phone in history is not an iPhone model, as many might think, but the Nokia 1100 feature phone, released in 2003. It was this phone, which sold 250 million units, that topped the list of the most popular mobile phones in history, compiled by Visual Capitalist.

In second place was another push-button phone from the same manufacturer - Nokia 1110 with a circulation of 248 million units. But in third place is already a smartphone from Apple – iPhone 6 and 6 Plus with an indicator of 222 million units. In fourth place was the Nokia 105 (200 million units), and in fifth place were the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus (174 million units).

The list of the most popular phones in history also included:

• iPhone 5s (165 million units),
• Nokia 3210 (161 million units),
• iPhone 7 and 7 Plus (160 million units),
• iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max (159 million units),
• iPhone XR, XS and XS Max (151 million units),
• Nokia 6600 (150 million units),
• Nokia 1200 (150 million units),
• Nokia 5230 (150 million units),
• Samsung E100 (150 million units),
• iPhone 5 (146 million units).

In the past, especially before the advent of smartphones in general and the iPhone in particular, Nokia reigned supreme in the mobile phone market. Currently, none of the devices from this Finnish brand are in the top 10 most popular models.

In particular, at the end of 2023, the most popular phones were the iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro with circulations of 31 million units, 26 million units. and 24 million units. respectively.

Below are:

• iPhone 13 (22 million units),
• Samsung Galaxy A14 (20 million units),
• Samsung Galaxy A14 5G (14 million units),
• Samsung Galaxy A54 5G (14 million units),
• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (13 million units),
• Samsung Galaxy A04e (11 million units),
• Xiaomi Redmi 12C (11 million units).

Nokia obviously failed to adapt to the new market requirements and find a worthy place in it: on February 1, 2024, the section with smartphones of this brand will disappear from the official Nokia website. Currently, devices under the Nokia brand of HMD Global, which bought the mobile phone business from Nokia, are presented there. From 2026, however, HMD Global will no longer sell Nokia smartphones.