According to the latest research from our Smartphone Model Tracker (SMT) service, Apple iPhone 7 was the world's best-selling smartphone model in the first quarter of 2017. OPPO R9s was the star performer, shipping 9 million units globally and becoming the world’s third most popular smartphone model.

Clients can read the full report here.

Global smartphone shipments reached a robust 353.3 million units in Q1 2017. The top-five most popular models together accounted for 1 in 6 of all smartphones shipped worldwide during the quarter.

We estimate Apple iPhone 7 shipped 21.5 million units and captured 6 percent marketshare worldwide in Q1 2017. The iPhone 7 is by far the world’s most popular smartphone model, due to a compelling blend of user-friendly design, extensive supporting apps, and widespread retail availability for the device.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus, with its bigger screen and higher pricing, shipped 17.4 million units for second place and 5 percent marketshare worldwide in Q1 2017. Apple today accounts for two of the world’s top five smartphone models.

OPPO R9s shipped 8.9 million units for third place and 3 percent marketshare worldwide in Q1 2017. OPPO is largely unknown in the Western world, but its brand is wildly popular in China and growing rapidly across India. The R9s is OPPO’s flagship 4G device with key features such as dual-SIM connectivity and fingerprint security.

Samsung was still gearing up for the launch of its new Galaxy S8 portfolio, but managed to get two models in the top five during Q1 2017. The Galaxy J3 captured 2 percent global smartphone marketshare and fourth place, while Galaxy J5 took 1 percent global share to become the world’s fifth most popular model. Samsung’s J3 and J5 are midrange devices that sell very well across Europe and Asia and they helped to offset Samsung’s troubles with the Note 7 battery fiasco in the quarter.

Exhibit 1: Global Smartphone Shipments & Marketshare by Model in Q1 2017  [1]