The iPhone 6s is the bestselling handset of the year, with the newer iPhone 7 in second place and the older iPhone 6 in third
Samsung has been outshone by Apple, with the Galaxy S7 Edge the fourth most popular phone of 2016
HTC 10 is the top phone not made by Apple or Samsung and handsets from Sony, Microsoft and Motorola also feature in the bestseller list for 2016
Google Pixel, which went on sale shortly after the iPhone 7, doesn’t appear in the bestseller list at all
The number one phone for Christmas was Apple’s iPhone 7.
Britain still favours the iPhone over any other mobile handset with the iPhone 6s crowned the bestselling phone of 2016, according to new data from Uswitch.com, the price comparison and switching service. The new iPhone 7 came a very close second despite only being released later on this year, while the iPhone 6 – released in 2014 – came third.
Although Apple dominates the list of the UK’s top 10 most popular smartphones, Samsung gets a look in at fourth position, with its curved-screen Galaxy S7 Edge while the Galaxy S6 manages ninth place. Samsung’s Note 4 phablet was the 15th most popular phone of year, indicating what a colossal blow the removal from sale of its faulty Note 7 will have been to the South Korean manufacturer.
Within the top 20, there are only five entries from mobile makers other than Apple and Samsung – the best performing of those being the HTC 10 in 14th place. One glaring omission is the Google Pixel, the search engine giant’s flagship handset, which launched in October only shortly after the iPhone 7, and yet doesn’t appear in the top 20 at all. The table below shows this year’s bestselling smartphones:
Top 20 handsets for 2016 (correct on 28th December)
| # | Handset | Powered by | UK release date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple iPhone 6s | iOS | September, 2015 | ||
| 2 | Apple iPhone 7 | iOS | September, 2016 | ||
| 3 | Apple iPhone 6 | iOS | September, 2014 | ||
| 4 | Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge | Android | March, 2016 | ||
| 5 | Apple iPhone SE | iOS | March, 2016 | ||
| 6 | Apple iPhone 5S | iOS | September, 2016 | ||
| 7 | Samsung Galaxy S7 | Android | March, 2016 | ||
| 8 | Apple iPhone 6s Plus | iOS | September, 2015 | ||
| 9 | Samsung Galaxy S6 | Android | April, 2015 | ||
| 10 | Apple iPhone 7 Plus | iOS | September, 2016 | ||
| 11 | Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge | Android | April, 2015 | ||
| 12 | Apple iPhone 6 Plus | iOS | September, 2014 | ||
| 13 | Samsung Galaxy A3 | Android | October, 2014 | ||
| 14 | HTC 10 | Android | May, 2016 | ||
| 15 | Samsung Galaxy Note 4 | Android | October, 2014 | ||
| 16 | Microsoft Lumia 535 | Windows Phone 8.1 | November, 2014 | ||
| 17 | Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini | Android | August, 2014 | ||
| 18 | Motorola Moto G 3 | Android | July, 2015 | ||
| 19 | Sony Xperia Z5 | Android | September, 2015 | ||
| 20 | Microsoft Lumia 550 | Microsoft Windows 10 | December, 2015 |
Source: Uswitch.com
Apple fever also struck the Christmas bestseller list, with seven iPhones in the December top 10, compared to Samsung’s three. The latest model, the iPhone 7, which costs from £39 per month with no upfront cost for the handset, came top of the tree. Apple’s cheaper iPhone SE, targeted at millennials, came third. The table below shows the most popular phones for Christmas:
Top ten handsets for December 2016 (correct on 28th December)
| # | Handset | Powered by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple iPhone 7 | iOS | ||
| 2 | Apple iPhone 6s | iOS | ||
| 3 | Apple iPhone SE | iOS | ||
| 4 | Apple iPhone 7 Plus | iOS | ||
| 5 | Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge | Android | ||
| 6 | Samsung Galaxy S7 | Android | ||
| 7 | Apple iPhone 5S | iOS | ||
| 8 | Apple iPhone 6s Plus | iOS | ||
| 9 | Apple iPhone 6 | iOS | ||
| 10 | Samsung Galaxy S6 | Android |
Source: Uswitch.com
Ernest Doku, mobiles expert at Uswitch.com, says: “Both our 2016 and Christmas bestseller lists show the unbridled dominance of Apple and Samsung, enduringly the UK’s mobile makers of choice.
“We often see older iPhones outshining the newer models because lower prices make them more attractive, but the iPhone 7 proved incredibly popular and was only just pipped at the post despite being launched in September. The pull of being able to enjoy the iOS experience – from apps to updates and core functionality – in an affordable and aesthetically similar package spoke volumes for both the 6S and fledgling SE.
“Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge manages to deliver novel looks, but is underpinned by a strong and unfettered Android interface – a far cry from the cluttered and over-customised feel of old. While hardly a beacon of innovation – a reflection of the wider market as much as Samsung in isolation – it’s certainly a departure from the typical smartphone build, and paired with a great price point that’s more than enough to stimulate sales.
“Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7, however, went from flagship announcement to flight safety warning in mere months with a global recall following overheating issues.
“The Google Pixel’s failure to make the list is proof it is a challenge for even the most established brands to make a full transition into the highly competitive smartphone space. A strong device on paper, the first phone branded as being ‘by Google’ is entirely a different – and decidedly more luxurious – animal from the original range of disruptive Nexus devices.”
Find out how you could save over £1,000 a year with Uswitch here.
Annual top 20 is based on provisional sales via Uswitch.com January 1st to December 28th 2016. Christmas top 10 is based on provisional sales via Uswitch.com December 1st to December 25th 2016. Provisional sales figures also use an approval rate which estimates, and takes into account, cancelled sales.
It’s all about “U”!
Thank you for indulging us over the last 20 years by using a small ‘u’ and a big ‘S’ when writing about our brand in your articles.
We are delighted to let you know that you are now off the hook - it’s big U’s all the way (and small s’s) as we undertake our biggest ever rebrand - so let your autocorrect go wild!
Uswitch is the UK’s top comparison website for home services switching. Launched in September 2000, we help consumers save money on their gas, electricity, broadband, mobile, TV, and financial services products and get more of what matters to them. Last year we saved consumers over £373 million on their energy bills alone.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a new business that also owns Money.co.uk and Bankrate.
If you would no longer like to receive our press releases please email prteam@uswitch.com with 'unsubscribe'.