iPhone eventSource: Apple

What you need to know

  • Apple has the top five selling smartphones in America last year.
  • That's according to new data from Counterpoint.
  • The iPhone XR was Apple's clear winner.

New data from Counterpoint research suggests that Apple holds the top five spots in the US smartphone market.

According to the research:

According to Counterpoint Research's Market Pulse, iPhone 11 raced to become the second-best-selling model globally for 2019 despite it being launched in September. The first iPhone with multiple cameras was launched at a lower price than its predecessor. This also indicates the impact of the new iPhone series during the all-important holiday season in Q4. Out of the top ten models, Apple captured six places with iPhone XR being the top-selling model globally in 2019, capturing a 3% market share.

Specifically in the US, the top five selling smartphones and their market share were as follows:

  • iPhone XR - 12%
  • iPhone 11 - 6%
  • iPhone 8 - 5%
  • iPhone 11 Pro Max - 4%
  • iPhone XS Max 3%

Asides from Apple's clean sweep, the iPhone 8 figures are also surprising, given that a device more than three years old remains more popular than both of Apple's most recent 'Max' iPhones.

Apple's success wasn't repeated elsewhere. In Europe for example, the number one smartphone was the Samsung Galaxy A50, closely followed by the iPhone XR and 11. In China, South America, and the Middle East & Africa, Apple did not manage to break into the top five.

Interestingly, 5G models only accounted for 1% of global smartphone sales, however, Counterpoint expects this to change in 2020 as more networks roll out 5G and Apple enters the market.