14 DAY TRIAL // While analysts indicate sales of the iPhone X are below expectations and project declining shipments in the coming months, data provided by Kantar points to strong performance in the largest markets across the world.
The December 2017 figures show iPhone X was one of the three best-selling smartphones in Europe, China, Japan, Australia, and the United States. And the best of all, it was the number one device in urban China, despite its super-high price.
Kantar says the iPhone X helped Apple boost its OS share in several markets, with iOS loyalty reaching a new high of 96% in the United States alone. Some declines, however, have been experienced in other regions.
Samsung and Apple dominating the US
In the United States, iOS fell 0.5% to 43.9%, while in the EU5 region, Apple’s mobile operating system improved 0.7% to 24.8%. The biggest growth was experienced in China were iOS improved no less than 10.1% versus the same period of 2016, reaching a share of 28.6%. Android is still the leader here with 71.2%.
“The full results for the last quarter of the year show that Apple’s decision to release three new handsets over a staggered period, including the ultra high-end iPhone X, has been a sound one,” Dominic Sunnebo, Global Director for Kantar,” says.
“With Apple’s existing release structure, expectations would always be that the flagship model would be the top selling device in key developed markets, but with the premium price of iPhone X, real life affordability has come into play. Given that in December iPhone X made it into the top three best-selling devices across all key regions, particularly in urban China where it was the top selling model, the pricing strategy seems to have been vindicated.”
Kantar says Samsung also performed very well in late 2017, with sales in Europe growing 2.2% to 31.3% share. In the United States, Samsung’s and Apple’s combined share reached 70.8%.
