iPhone 16 Pro Models
0 Facebook x.com Reddit
Apple's iPhone hits record third-quarter sales as global smartphone market continues to recover.
Q3 2023 was a dismal quarter for the Mac, but new data from Canalys shows the iPhone had record sales that Samsung only narrowly beat.
The two companies were so close that Canalys actually lists them both at 18% market share, but says Samsung’s sales showed it was “barely holding on to its pole position.” Apple’s 18% is a 1% year-over-year improvement over Q3 2023, but Samsung’s was down 3% over the same period.
Notably, Samsung launched its newest smartphones in July, at the start of the quarter. Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup didn’t go on sale until September 13, halfway through the quarter’s final month.
Global smartphone market in Q3 2024 (Source: Canalys)
While typically launching a new smartphone boosts sales at launch, the timing may have worked in Apple’s favor this time for another reason. Sales of the iPhone 16 lineup have been sluggish, so just a short sales window in Q3 may have helped.
Canalys still forecasts that the iPhone 16 lineup will give Apple “a strong finish to 2024 and help it gain momentum in the first half of 2025,” in part due to Apple Intelligence. However, analysts attribute Apple’s third-quarter success to the previous model.
“Apple achieved its highest third-quarter sales volume to date and has never been closer to leading the global smartphone market in Q3 than it is now,” said Runar Bjørhovde, an analyst at Canalys. “Continued strong demand for the iPhone 15 series, along with Apple’s legacy models, played a critical role in Q3 results.”
“The market shift toward premium devices, coupled with the ongoing upgrade cycle for devices purchased during the pandemic, is benefiting Apple,” Bjørhovde continued, “especially in its core regions of North America and Europe.”
Overall, Canalys reports that the global smartphone market grew 5% year-over-year in Q3 2024, making it the fourth consecutive quarter of growth.
Canalys also believes that shoppers are holding off on upgrades in anticipation of Black Friday, or 11.11 in China, deals.
Follow AppleInsider on Google News
