14 DAY TRIAL // iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus haven’t been the devices Apple hoped them to be in terms of sales, and this was more or less to be expected given the debut of the iPhone X, which is often referred to as the biggest overhaul of the iPhone since its debut in 2007.
But despite this performance below expectations, Apple still managed to secure the first place in the smartphone market share in Q3 in the United Kingdom, with Counterpoint Research putting the company at the top of the charts, just ahead of rival Samsung.
Counterpoint says Apple’s share for the quarter reached 34.4%, while Samsung was almost literally breathing down its neck with 34.0%.
The research firm says sales of the iPhone 8 have been low mostly because of the iPhone X, as many potential buyers delayed their purchase as they waited for the anniversary model. Apple started sales of the iPhone 8 in late September, while iPhone X shipments started on November 3.
iPhone 7, best-selling smartphone in Q3
“Apple continued to lead the smartphone market with just over 34% share despite sales declining sequentially. Samsung was the second largest brand, slightly behind Apple, with flat market share YoY,” Parv Sharma, Research Associate at Counterpoint Research, said.
“The Chinese giant Huawei was the third largest brand, with consistent double-digit market share, leveraging a diverse portfolio across all price-tiers, but still some distance behind Samsung and Apple that represent something approaching a virtual duopoly. Like we see in the US market, Apple & Samsung together control more than two thirds of the UK smartphone market in sales volumes and more than 80% in sales value.”
Analysts also claim that Apple and Samsung leave “very little room” for other companies, especially in the premium market where all the others have a hard time competing with the two.
Interestingly, the best-selling model during the quarter was the iPhone 7, which account for 15% of all smartphones sold in the three months period ending in September. Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus were second and third, with Counterpoint noting that the South Korean firm managed to have a strong range “across all price bands.”