What Collapse? iPhone Reaches Biggest US Market Share in History

iPhone X demand is said to be well below expectations, and people with knowledge of the matter revealed that Apple reduced orders for the next three months by as much as 50 percent, yet a study indicates that in the United States, the device just couldn’t sell any better.

A research conducted by Counterpoint reveals that Apple sold a record 22.39 million smartphones in the United States in the holiday season quarter of 2017, helping the iPhone achieve the highest ever market share for the domestic market. The device jumped from 37% to 44%, and it’s all thanks to the new lineup that debuted last fall and which includes iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.

Speaking about this strong performance, Counterpoint Research Director Jeff Fieldhack says Apple managed to steal buyers from Samsung, as the company’s premium offering has become substantially more appealing thanks to the debut of new models.

“Apple was able to grow their sell through 20% in a market that only grew 2% compared to last year. This means Apple has been successful to take share away from Samsung in the premium,” he says.

iPhone X, best-selling new iPhone

Despite the reports of declining iPhone X demand, the research firm explains that the United States isn’t impacted, and in the fourth quarter of 2017, all three new iPhone models were at the top of the smartphone sales in the country. iPhone X even managed to outsell the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus by a 2:1 margin, despite its high price.

“What this means is the super-premium segment (above $800) has grown from almost 0% in previous years to 25% share of the total smartphones sold in USA during Q4 2017, which speaks volumes for the potential of USA market and the US consumers’ buying power,” Counterpoint Research Director, Neil Shah, says.

While these figures concern sales during the holiday season, most analyst forecasts concern the first quarter of 2018, so it’ll be interesting to see if Apple maintains the same strong sales in the first months of the year., especially if the said production cut is accurate.