New Delhi, May 6 (IANS): Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max was the best-selling smartphone of the first quarter (Q1) of 2024, a new report showed on Monday.

According to Counterpoint Research, Apple and Samsung dominated the top 10 best-selling smartphones list for Q1, each grabbing five positions and leaving no spot for other brands.

"The Pro Max variant achieved the top position for the first time in Apple’s non-seasonal quarter, reflecting an increasing trend of consumer preference for high-end smartphones," the analysts said.

"All four iPhone 15 variants and the iPhone 14 were among the top 10 bestsellers. Further, the iPhone 15 line-up secured the top three spots," they added.

In addition, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series secured two spots in the top 10 for Q1, with its Ultra model ranking fifth and the base variant coming in ninth.

As per the analysts, the strong performance of the S24 series can be attributed to Samsung’s early refresh of the series, and its efforts in generative AI (GenAI) technology.

"The S24 series was the first to reach the market with GenAI features and capabilities, allowing users to create unique content and experience a new level of interaction with their smartphones," the analysts stated.

This was also the first quarter in which the top 10 smartphones were all 5G capable.

The analysts expect that the top 10 best-selling smartphones will capture a larger share of total smartphone sales in the coming time as OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) are focusing on leaner portfolios with premium features, including GenAI.