Apple's iPhone breaks sales record as smartphone market recovers
Apple'siPhone has achieved record-high sales volume for a third quarter of the year, while the global smartphone market continues to recover.

iPhone 16 Pro models
The third quarter of 2023 was dismal for the Mac, but new figures from Canalys show that the iPhone had record sales that were only fractionally beaten by Samsung.
The two firms were so close that Canalys actually lists them both as having 18% market share, but says Samsung's sales saw it "narrowly defending its pole position." Apple's 18% is a 1% improvement year over year from Q3 2023, but Samsung's is a fall of 3% in the same period.
Significantly, Samsung launched its latest smartphones in July, at the start of the quarter. Apple's iPhone 16 range only went on sale on September 13, halfway through the last month of the quarter.

Global smartphone market in Q3 2024 (Source: Canalys)
While usually a new smartphone release boost sales at launch, it's possible that this time the scheduling worked to Apple's advantage for another reason. Sales of the iPhone 16 range have been lackluster, so only having a short time on sale in Q3 may have helped.
Canalys is still predicting that the iPhone 16 range will give Apple "a strong finish to 2024 and help momentum in H1 2025," in part because of Apple Intelligence. Nonetheless, the analysts credit the previous model for Apple's success in Q3.
"Apple achieved its highest third-quarter volume to date and has never been closer to leading the global smartphone market in a Q3 than now," said Runar Bjorhovde, Analyst at Canalys. "The ongoing strong demand for the iPhone 15 series, along with Apple's legacy models, played a crucial role in its Q3 performance."
"The market's shift towards premium devices, intersected by an ongoing refresh cycle of devices bought during the pandemic, is benefiting Apple," continued Bjorhovde, "particularly in its strong-hold regions such as North America and Europe."
Overall, Canalys reports that the global smartphone market rose 5% year over year in Q3 2024. That makes this a fourth consecutive quarter of growth.
Canalys also believes that buyers have been postponing upgrades in the expectation of deals in Black Friday, or China's 11.11 day.
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Comments
There are enough companies not in sync with calendar quarters that a notation is needed if referring to calendar quarter.
Apple taking market share in the quarter that has their new models being released is great.
I doubt the 16 sales were lack lustre. It seems more to me that the Apple customer base upgrades/buys whenever they need the phone and may be less focused on waiting for the next version. This is a very good thing for Apple.
The difference is that there isn't just one Android so an iOS/Android comparison is not easy.
Both Google and the provider of my particular version of Android provide reminders of permissions situations that seem unnecessary so that I can check them. Permissions that I initially granted.
I have never had a known instance of malware or virus and the device is regularly scanned by the system for rogue activity.
All app stores are regularly purged of such apps because it's impossible to stop some getting through. That includes the Apple App Store.
And I would dispute the claim that iOS works much better than alternatives. After all, Apple has spent the last few years implementing Android features.
Company investors will be familiar with their company’s fiscal calendar and make the translation in their head. But yes, it is confusing, especially if you want to make annual or quarterly comparisons and make it clear for others.