Android still dominates global smartphone sales; Google’s Pixel 10a shines in one country

Ben Schoon | Aug 28 2026 - 6:58 am PT

Updated data shows that, yep, Android is still the dominant force in the global smartphone market, but country-by-country breakdowns would hint otherwise – and Google’s Pixel series really only breaks into the conversation in one country, too.

Counterpoint Research published a breakdown of global smartphone OS share, measured by sales, with Android taking the win by a mile. On the global scale, Android makes up about 75% of smartphone sales compared to iOS, which makes up 20%. The last 5% is Huawei’s HarmonyOS. Q2 2026’s numbers aren’t that different from the same time last year, with Android down from 79%, ceding 4% to Apple and 1% to Huawei.

The report brings out that the popularity of the Galaxy S26 series, the Ultra in particular, helped in “mitigating” Android’s overall decline amid RAMageddon’s impact on the market.

Android’s sales share fell 4% YoY in Q2 2026 to 75%, as competition from iOS and HarmonyOS intensified. The Samsung Galaxy S26 series performed better than its predecessor, mitigating the overall decline in Android’s share. Chinese Android OEMs are shifting their focus to higher-value devices and scaling back activity in the entry-level segment to navigate RAM shortages and rising costs.

Meanwhile, another Counterpoint report breaks down the top five best-selling smartphones in major markets across the globe in Q2 2025, with most markets seeing Apple’s iPhone 17 series up on top. That includes, Japan, which stands out on the list because right behind the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17E is Google’s Pixel 10a, the only place Google stands out in all of this talk about top-selling phones. The Pixel 10a made up 7% of Japan’s smartphone sales in Q2, continuing a trend of popularity among Google’s budget-conscious Pixel in the region. It’s also noteworthy as the Pixel 9a didn’t make the same list this time last year.

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