Despite a persistent decline in overall smartphone sales in the US, the market share of iPhones continued to soar last month, as revealed by a recent market intelligence report.
According to the report, the downward trajectory in US smartphone sales has been a consistent trend in recent years, witnessing a substantial 45% decline since reaching its peak in 2017 …
Counterpoint Research, while not delving into specifics, highlighted the ongoing downturn in the broader US smartphone market.
Preliminary data from Counterpoint Research’s 2024 US Weekly Sell-through Tracker indicates a 10% year-over-year drop in US smartphone sales for January. This decline primarily stemmed from lackluster performance in the low-end segments, although the premium and ultra-premium segments exhibited more resilience. Despite this, overall upgrade rates remained subdued.
Maurice Klaehne, Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research, remarked, “Tough times in the volume-driven low end coupled with delayed upgrades in anticipation of new products drove the market lower.”
Indeed, the company notes a sustained downward trajectory since 2017, with only a temporary deviation observed two years ago.
Apple, however, bucked the trend by outperforming most brands, with its iPhone steadily gaining market share, despite experiencing modest declines in sales.
Jeff Fieldhack, Research Director, noted, “We continue to see strong promotions for the iPhone 15 series in postpaid, while there remains significant interest in older models like the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 among cost-conscious consumers in prepaid. This combination is enabling Apple to maintain stability in a market experiencing double-digit declines.” He added, “This is good for share gains and great for the iOS installed base.”
Amidst the challenging landscape of declining smartphone sales, Apple’s resilience and strategic marketing initiatives have positioned the iPhone as a dominant player in the US market, solidifying its foothold and expanding its user base.