Apple has dominated 2024 smartphone sales with iPhone 15 Pro Max

AppleInsider

The iPhone 15 Pro Max was the top-selling smartphone in the first quarter of 2024, with iPhones occupying half the spots in the top ten.

iPhone 15 Pro Max

Apple and Samsung are still the top two highest-selling smartphone vendors in the world, and have been for some time. On a per model basis, though, it seems that Apple's continuing to edge out its main rival.

In a list of the top ten best-selling smartphones in the world for Q1 2024 by Counterpoint, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is in first position with a 4.4% market share. The note seen by AppleInsider says iPhone 15 was second with 4.3%, and the iPhone 15 Pro was third with 3.7%.

In fourth place was the iPhone 14 at 1.9%, narrowly beating the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. The iPhone 15 Plus lags behind in eighth place with a 1.3% share.

The Q1 results mirror those of Q1 2023, which had the iPhone 14 in first with 4.7% followed by the iPhone 14 Pro Max at 4.3%. At that time, Apple also had five devices in the top ten list.

Top ten smartphones sold in Q1 2024 and Q1 2023 [Counterpoint]

Counterpoint's notes add that the quarter was the first where the top 10 smartphones were all 5G-capable.

This was also Apple first non-seasonal quarter that the Pro Max model took first place.

Counterpoint claims there was also a major shift in purchasing habits, with half of Apple's total sales in Q1 occupied by the Pro range. By contrast, Pro models formed only 24% of purchases in Q1 2020, four years previous.

The note insists this is an evident trend towards premium smartphones. Seven out of the top ten were classed as premium, namely having a wholesale price at or above $600.

Previously, Counterpoint reported that Apple dominated across the whole of 2023. In February, it determined that iPhone made up seven spots in the top ten smartphones sold in 2023 for the first time.



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40domi

Hardly surprising 15's are very very good phones, especially the Pro's!
Once people saw through the fake hype AI on the Samsung S24 range and particularly how blatantly Samsung copied the iPhone 15's, they went and bought the real deal, an iPHONE 

avon b7

40domi said:

Hardly surprising 15's are very very good phones, especially the Pro's!
Once people saw through the fake hype AI on the Samsung S24 range and particularly how blatantly Samsung copied the iPhone 15's, they went and bought the real deal, an iPHONE 

From Counterpoint:

"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."

It is suggesting those features actually gave the model a push. 

What you need to remember here is that they are talking about 'share' of 'models'.

For two companies with roughly the same output for any given quarter, the one with less models is likely to come out on top. 

tmay

avon b7 said:

40domi said:

Hardly surprising 15's are very very good phones, especially the Pro's!
Once people saw through the fake hype AI on the Samsung S24 range and particularly how blatantly Samsung copied the iPhone 15's, they went and bought the real deal, an iPHONE 

From Counterpoint:

"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."

It is suggesting those features actually gave the model a push. 

What you need to remember here is that they are talking about 'share' of 'models'.

For two companies with roughly the same output for any given quarter, the one with less models is likely to come out on top. 

Marketshare is nice, but Apple had over 43% of revenue share to Samsung's 26% for Q3 of 2023, leaving 31% for everyone else. Apple's profit share remains above 80%. A unique OS is surely part of the reason for that, and Apple's limited number of models derives better production margins.

Still, Apple is hardly a monopoly, given that buyers have choice in the marketplace.

AI features in the iPhone 16 might very well juice sales just as it did for Samsung.

edited May 2024

danox

And there are still many people even today who still say Apple should go cheap to pick up marketshare......

geomac25

If you can’t afford an Apple product, that’s your problem, not Apple’s. There all sort of deals, that allow many levels of income to acquire an Apple product. 

nubus

danox said:

And there are still many people even today who still say Apple should go cheap to pick up marketshare......

Apple should go lower to sell more devices. To sell into markets where people aren't either white or rich and way too often a combination. To let kids and elderly have access to a device that isn't riddled with malware. And... to sell services, AirPods, family subscriptions, cases etc. as the total value of the customer isn't limited to the cost of a single device.

And Apple should go higher. Perhaps make some colors more expensive like the current MBP and the former black iBook. Give it 24 GB RAM or something that doesn't require a lot of R&D.

tmay

nubus said:

danox said:

And there are still many people even today who still say Apple should go cheap to pick up marketshare......

Apple should go lower to sell more devices. To sell into markets where people aren't either white or rich and way too often a combination. To let kids and elderly have access to a device that isn't riddled with malware. And... to sell services, AirPods, family subscriptions, cases etc. as the total value of the customer isn't limited to the cost of a single device.

And Apple should go higher. Perhaps make some colors more expensive like the current MBP and the former black iBook. Give it 24 GB RAM or something that doesn't require a lot of R&D.

There is a tremendous market for second hand and refurbished iPhones, so I would discount the argument for a "lower priced, higher volume, lower margin" iPhone. Arguably, the SE isn't ever a great seller, likely due to carrier plans that can place a current iPhone into the hands of just about any consumer at a reasonable monthly payment.

It might be the case that a more advanced iPhone specifically designed for video/photography/graphics arts with higher recording bandwidth, higher resolution(s) and dynamic range, with extended optical telephoto zoom, while including 24GB of RAM, and support for the Apple Pencil, would find a market. That would be a pretty substantial effort for a relatively small niche.

edited May 2024

avon b7

tmay said:

nubus said:

danox said:

And there are still many people even today who still say Apple should go cheap to pick up marketshare......

Apple should go lower to sell more devices. To sell into markets where people aren't either white or rich and way too often a combination. To let kids and elderly have access to a device that isn't riddled with malware. And... to sell services, AirPods, family subscriptions, cases etc. as the total value of the customer isn't limited to the cost of a single device.

And Apple should go higher. Perhaps make some colors more expensive like the current MBP and the former black iBook. Give it 24 GB RAM or something that doesn't require a lot of R&D.

There is a tremendous market for second hand and refurbished iPhones, so I would discount the argument for a "lower priced, higher volume, lower margin" iPhone. Arguably, the SE isn't ever a great seller, likely due to carrier plans that can place a current iPhone into the hands of just about any consumer at a reasonable monthly payment.

A higher priced, low volume iPhone, doesn't make much sense to me, whatever the configuration, and I can't imagine that 24 GB or RAM is going to be of much use to consumers. Your Mileage Varied.

Definitely a mileage case but refurbished or second hand options, while possible, are not 'new' so spending hard earned cash on a 'not new' option is always a bitter pill to swallow if you really want an iPhone. 

It's different when that's what you want right from the outset. 

Apple is the 'upsell company' so the notion of upsell runs right through the range (and to the point of eliminating the most desired options from the product matrix of the previous year).

That's how it is, so the hardware cow will stay fat while people continue to buy. Maybe one of its legs is trembling a little (China, where discounting has been necessary) but I'm sure Apple sees itself as a services company at some point and that may well lead to more (and more competitive) SE type devices. 

The 'S' naming has gone but its spirit remains. 

As long as people accept upsell as being the driving force things won't change much but as has been seen in China, nothing is guaranteed. 

tmay

avon b7 said:

tmay said:

nubus said:

danox said:

And there are still many people even today who still say Apple should go cheap to pick up marketshare......

Apple should go lower to sell more devices. To sell into markets where people aren't either white or rich and way too often a combination. To let kids and elderly have access to a device that isn't riddled with malware. And... to sell services, AirPods, family subscriptions, cases etc. as the total value of the customer isn't limited to the cost of a single device.

And Apple should go higher. Perhaps make some colors more expensive like the current MBP and the former black iBook. Give it 24 GB RAM or something that doesn't require a lot of R&D.

There is a tremendous market for second hand and refurbished iPhones, so I would discount the argument for a "lower priced, higher volume, lower margin" iPhone. Arguably, the SE isn't ever a great seller, likely due to carrier plans that can place a current iPhone into the hands of just about any consumer at a reasonable monthly payment.

A higher priced, low volume iPhone, doesn't make much sense to me, whatever the configuration, and I can't imagine that 24 GB or RAM is going to be of much use to consumers. Your Mileage Varied.

Definitely a mileage case but refurbished or second hand options, while possible, are not 'new' so spending hard earned cash on a 'not new' option is always a bitter pill to swallow if you really want an iPhone. 

It's different when that's what you want right from the outset. 

Apple is the 'upsell company' so the notion of upsell runs right through the range (and to the point of eliminating the most desired options from the product matrix of the previous year).

That's how it is, so the hardware cow will stay fat while people continue to buy. Maybe one of its legs is trembling a little (China, where discounting has been necessary) but I'm sure Apple sees itself as a services company at some point and that may well lead to more (and more competitive) SE type devices. 

The 'S' naming has gone but its spirit remains. 

As long as people accept upsell as being the driving force things won't change much but as has been seen in China, nothing is guaranteed. 

Definitely a mileage case but refurbished or second hand options, while possible, are not 'new' so spending hard earned cash on a 'not new' option is always a bitter pill to swallow if you really want an iPhone. 

Consumers are obviously purchasing used and refurbished iPhones, as well as Android OS devices, given the massive trade ins that occur all through the year, so "bitter pill" is bullshit. I have no doubt that Apple's iPhone user base continues to expand due to a lifecycle potentially including multiple owners.

erniefairchild1

nubus said:

danox said:

And there are still many people even today who still say Apple should go cheap to pick up marketshare......

Apple should go lower to sell more devices. To sell into markets where people aren't either white or rich and way too often a combination. To let kids and elderly have access to a device that isn't riddled with malware. And... to sell services, AirPods, family subscriptions, cases etc. as the total value of the customer isn't limited to the cost of a single device.

And Apple should go higher. Perhaps make some colors more expensive like the current MBP and the former black iBook. Give it 24 GB RAM or something that doesn't require a lot of R&D.

Interesting choice to bring up a grievance with rich white people. Racial tribalism is counterproductive (at best) and typically  a very lazy way to analyze wealth, economics, and opportunity in modern societies, one which ignores the many complexities of human beings.

Also, real cool of you to equate non-white with poor (or at least suggest it’s “often” the case). Painting with quite a broad brush.

But, yes, a nice price range which reaches the lower end of the spectrum would be nice.