Apple iPhone 6s world's top selling smartphone: Report

It shipped 14.2 million units and accounted for four per cent share of all smartphones shipped worldwide in Q2 2016

Apple's iPhone 6s was the world's top-selling smartphone model in the second quarter of 2016, a report said on Wednesday, adding that the US giant currently accounts for two of the three top-selling smartphone models shipped worldwide.

Apple shipped 14.2 million units and accounted for four per cent share of all smartphones shipped worldwide in Q2 2016, said market research firm Strategy Analytics.

"Apple's iPhone 6s is currently the world's most popular smartphone. The iPhone 6s is wildly popular in dozens of countries globally, due to its attractive hardware design blended with rich features such as 4K video, large multi-touch display and fingerprint security," informed Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics.

Total global smartphone shipments grew one per cent annually from 338.0 million units in Q2 2015 to 341.5 million in Q2 2016.

"Smartphone growth is sluggish at the moment due to ongoing economic volatility worldwide, high ownership penetration in most major countries, and a lack of new innovation from device manufacturers," added Linda Sui, director at Strategy Analytics.

The Apple iPhone 6 shipped 8.5 million units worldwide for second position and two per cent marketshare during Q2 2016, followed by Samsung Galaxy S7 edge in third place with 8.3 million and 2 per cent share.

"Apple iPhone 6 has been on sale for almost two years and it remains near the top of best-seller lists in many regions like Europe. Samsung's Galaxy S7 edge has proven popular among high-end consumers and its curved hardware design has given the firm a differentiator," noted Woody Oh, director at Strategy Analytics.

The news came as Apple is set to launch its Next-Gen Apple iPhone7 in San Francisco.

According to media reports, the mega event at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium will unveil the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus smartphones, along with the next-generation Apple Watch.

People can pre-order the luxury smartphone from September 9 while sales may begin from September 16.

The new iPhone 7 may have a dual rear camera, a pressure-sensitive home button, Bluetooth-supported headphones, dual speakers at the bottom and Type-C interface, signalling the end of the 3.5 mm headphone jack in the iPhone family.