Most successful phone of all time revealed — and it’s not iPhone
Best-selling mobile phone of all time named
Despite Apple’s dominance in the modern gadget market, the tech giant still has not broken the record for the best-selling mobile phones of all time. At the top of the ranking, legendary Nokia feature phones remain firmly in place, according to BGR.
Who is at the top: what the numbers say
The most successful smartphone series in Apple’s history is the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus lineup. Thanks to the introduction of long-awaited larger screens, these models sold a total of 224 million units. However, in the overall ranking of mobile phones, they only take third place.
Nokia 1110 (photo: Wikimedia)
The first two positions are consistently held by Nokia devices:
- Nokia 1100 (released in 2003) — 250 million units sold
- Nokia 1110 (released in 2005) — 248 million units sold
The secret behind Nokia’s dominance
The main factor behind the success of the Nokia 1100 and 1110 was their affordability. While competitors like the Motorola Razr V3 were sold for around $449, Nokia offered its models at a price range of $78 to $100. This made them ideal for emerging markets.
Reliability, long battery life, and low cost allowed the Finnish brand to create a true people’s phone.
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Nokia 1100 (photo: Wikimedia)
Why Nokia’s records are unlikely to be broken
Experts point to several reasons why we are unlikely to see such massive sales figures for a single model again.
First, the modern market is extremely competitive. As of April 2026, Apple and Samsung hold nearly equal shares of the global smartphone market — around 21% each. In addition, Xiaomi and Huawei also have a significant presence, which spreads consumer attention across dozens of brands.
Second, consumer behavior has changed. Today, users keep their smartphones much longer than before. In the early 2000s, replacing a phone was a frequent event, whereas now device upgrade cycles last for years.
These factors significantly reduce the chances of any iPhone or Galaxy model surpassing the quarter-billion sales mark achieved by Nokia’s legendary devices.
