The iPhone 17 was a win, but Apple needs to keep buffing up the base model in 2026

When it comes to US and UK smartphone sales in 2026, Apple is going to win. According to Counterpoint Research, Apple achieved half of all mobile shipments in the US in Q3 2025. In the UK, Uswitch reports that Apple had a market share of 48.5% in September 2025. And while Apple’s lead might fluctuate, it has been constant in both countries for years, and is overwhelmingly likely to continue.

Despite this near-certainty, Apple spent 2025 pushing the iPhone forward in multiple ways – some overdue, and some surprisingly forward-thinking. The iPhone 17 is the best base-model iPhone in years, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has begun its reign as the best iPhone and best camera phone, and the iPhone Air made waves as Apple’s first thin and light flagship and the first real challenger to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

What was ...