Samsung's Galaxy S8 the top-selling Android phone in Q2 as market rebounds

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 was the world’s top-selling Android handset as the worldwide smartphone industry rebounded in the second quarter of 2017, according to fresh data from Strategy Analytics.

But Apple’s iPhone continued to dominate the overall market.

Samsung shipped 10.2 million Galaxy S8 units during the second quarter, claiming a 2.8% share of the smartphone market, and the S8 Plus saw 9 million shipments, accounting for 2.5% of overall sales. A total of 360.4 million smartphones were shipped, marking 5.5% growth worldwide from the second quarter of 2016.

The report is the latest indication that Samsung has fully recovered from the Galaxy Note 7 debacle that forced the company to issue two worldwide recalls last fall due to serious problems with overheating batteries. And the strong sales figures came despite a notable lack of marketing support from U.S. carriers including Verizon and AT&T.

“Samsung’s Galaxy S8 has instantly become the world’s most popular Android smartphone model, due to its attractive curved-screen design, a rich portfolio of software apps, and best-in-class retail distribution across dozens of countries,” said Neil Mawston, executive director of Strategy Analytics, in a press release.

The iPhone maintained its No. 1 worldwide ranking among smartphone models, however, due to strong continued demand for the iPhone 7. Apple’s current flagship device launched nearly a year ago with “unprecedented” marketing support from major U.S. carriers, BayStreet Research noted at the time.

The iPhone 7 enjoyed a market share of 16.9% during the second quarter, Strategy Analytics said, and the 7 Plus captured 15.1% of all smartphone shipments.

“The iPhone 7 remains the world’s most popular smartphone model overall, due to a compelling blend of user-friendly design, extensive supporting apps, and widespread retail presence for the device,” Strategy Analytics Senior Analyst Juha Winter said in the release. “Apple today accounts for two of the world’s top-five smartphone models.”

Xiaomi’s Redmi 4A round out the top five, claiming a market share of 5.5%.

The looming question, of course, is how well—and how quickly—Apple can leverage the launch of a new flagship to maintain its momentum in a worldwide smartphone market that remains extremely competitive. The company is widely expected to introduce the iPhone 8 in the next several weeks, and while the launch of a new device has long been rumored to be delayed, Apple appeared to suggest earlier this month that the phone will arrive on schedule.