10 ms·

Apple’s iPhone has 56% share of the U.S. smartphone market

32 points by carlycue 5y ago

sp332 5y ago
Actual source is https://www.counterpointresearch.com/us-market-smartphone-share/ https://www.counterpointresearch.com/us-market-smartphone-sh...
core-utility 5y ago
I get the sentiment that smartphone innovation is fading, and we're really dealing in the last 5 to 1% of capability (for the near future). The difference between iPhones and flagship Pixel or Galaxy devices is really the OS with some nuance, everything else seems to remain the same. Maybe I'm removed from the rumor mill, but is there really anything to look forward to in next generation phones?
- zoover2020 5y ago
  Yes. Battary capacity.
  - scarface74 5y ago
    My last two upgrades were because of improved battery life and a larger screen. 6S -> 8 Plus -> iPhone 12 Pro Max. At the rate that Apple is supporting iPhones - the 2015 iPhone 6s is still supported - I can’t see anything that would make me upgrade in the foreseeable future unless they move to USB-C.
    - ruffrey 5y ago
      Typing this from an iPhone SE gen 1. Second battery but otherwise still flawless and up to date.
- emptybottle 5y ago
  > The difference is really the OS It’s a huge difference! I’ve enjoyed seamless upgrades since the iPhone 1 and maintained essentially the same user experience (with minor changes) throughout. For me stability is the major feature. I want a high quality phone that just works and for my data to carry across devices seamlessly.
s3r3nity 5y ago
I think what’s _more_ surprising to me is that Samsung dropped to 22%. Turns out that all that “innovation” or being first to market with fold-ables doesn’t mean squat compared to polish and usability.
- bradknowles 5y ago
  Samsung shits out something like 50 different phones every year. That’s about one a week. They don’t have time to be maintaining anything, they have to be totally focused on shitting out the next phone.
gandalfff 5y ago
Does anyone else in the US feel like there's a stigma against Android users? I have a Pixel 4a, which does everything I need it to do. But some of my friends think that it makes me look like I'm broke. I have been added to a number of group messages where I am at fault for downgrading the chat to green bubbles. I am seriously considering switching to iPhone, if only to appear more professional.
- chrisseaton 5y ago
  > Does anyone else in the US feel like there's a stigma against Android users? I've heard about kids being bullied for having an Android, yes via the green bubbles you're talking about. I've also heard about kids being bullied for having non-Pro AirPods (teased as 'straight tips'!)
  - Wiseacre 5y ago
    You'll get bullied if you have the old AirPods instead of the new one anyway.
    - bradknowles 5y ago
      You’ll get bullied for anything, really. If they can’t find anything to bully you about that you actually are or are not doing, they’ll invent something for you to be blamed for doing or not doing. Bullies are bullies and they need to be kicked in the balls or have their jaws broken repeatedly, until such time as they stop being bullies.
- hughrr 5y ago
  Having spoken to a lot of Android users, and being a former rampant Android fanboy myself, I think people are fed up of getting screwed by Android vendors. The software support doesn't last particularly long, the support and repair networks for all the devices are terrible leaving you in the hands of dubious independent repairers and the longevity of the devices is poor. Also the accessory ecosystem is the usual crapfest of not knowing what you're getting, it barely even working properly and then being stuck with it.
advisedwang 5y ago
The raw data [1] seems highly seasonal. This is up from Q1/2/3 but actually down from Apple's 65% in Q4 2020. I wonder what this seasonality reflects. Are iPhones more [relatively] popular as gifts than when people buy for themselves? [1] https://www.counterpointresearch.com/us-market-smartphone-share/ https://www.counterpointresearch.com/us-market-smartphone-sh...
- yen223 5y ago
  Q4 I believe is typically when new iPhones are announced and launched.
- Someone 5y ago
  I don’t think that is enough data to conclude it is highly seasonal, but if it is a reason may be that Apple has a new model once a year or so, while there’s a new Android phone model every week (maybe exaggerating a tiny bit :-))
greatgib 5y ago
Looks like a symptom of last years US stupidity: people are screwed and happy with it because it is the trendy thing... Apple market shares are nothing like that in the rest of the world
ksec 5y ago
Again, this is Shipment, Market Shares in terms of Sales. I still dont know why this stats is being printed again and again other than if you are actually interested in its business operation. But if that is the case it has little to no relevance without revenue figure considering the range of Smartphone ASP varied so widely. We dont report Browser Downloads stats on a YoY and QoQ basis. We measure them in terms of usage as in usage market shares. And most people are completely mixing up the two. It is tiring.
- skygazer 5y ago
  Bank balance and cash flow are different, as well, but obviously one has a strong influence on the other. Likewise, airplanes have both altimeters and vertical speed indicators. Your VSI tells you what your altimeter will read in the future. Sales share is a leading indicator of market share/installed base. And obviously one year doesn’t make a trend, but if such a trend persists, then market share will eventually mirror sales, assuming consistent turnover/upgrade cycles. It’s definitely suggestive and worthy of notice. (Incidentally Apple is a just few percentage points away from market dominance and inviting regulation, which makes that percentage even more interesting.)

32 points by carlycue 5y ago

Actual source is https://www.counterpointresearch.com/us-market-smartphone-share/ https://www.counterpointresearch.com/us-market-smartphone-sh...

core-utility 5y ago

I get the sentiment that smartphone innovation is fading, and we're really dealing in the last 5 to 1% of capability (for the near future). The difference between iPhones and flagship Pixel or Galaxy devices is really the OS with some nuance, everything else seems to remain the same. Maybe I'm removed from the rumor mill, but is there really anything to look forward to in next generation phones?

zoover2020 5y ago
Yes. Battary capacity.
- scarface74 5y ago
  My last two upgrades were because of improved battery life and a larger screen. 6S -> 8 Plus -> iPhone 12 Pro Max. At the rate that Apple is supporting iPhones - the 2015 iPhone 6s is still supported - I can’t see anything that would make me upgrade in the foreseeable future unless they move to USB-C.
  - ruffrey 5y ago
    Typing this from an iPhone SE gen 1. Second battery but otherwise still flawless and up to date.
emptybottle 5y ago
> The difference is really the OS It’s a huge difference! I’ve enjoyed seamless upgrades since the iPhone 1 and maintained essentially the same user experience (with minor changes) throughout. For me stability is the major feature. I want a high quality phone that just works and for my data to carry across devices seamlessly.

s3r3nity 5y ago

I think what’s _more_ surprising to me is that Samsung dropped to 22%. Turns out that all that “innovation” or being first to market with fold-ables doesn’t mean squat compared to polish and usability.

bradknowles 5y ago
Samsung shits out something like 50 different phones every year. That’s about one a week. They don’t have time to be maintaining anything, they have to be totally focused on shitting out the next phone.

gandalfff 5y ago

Does anyone else in the US feel like there's a stigma against Android users? I have a Pixel 4a, which does everything I need it to do. But some of my friends think that it makes me look like I'm broke. I have been added to a number of group messages where I am at fault for downgrading the chat to green bubbles. I am seriously considering switching to iPhone, if only to appear more professional.

chrisseaton 5y ago
> Does anyone else in the US feel like there's a stigma against Android users? I've heard about kids being bullied for having an Android, yes via the green bubbles you're talking about. I've also heard about kids being bullied for having non-Pro AirPods (teased as 'straight tips'!)
- Wiseacre 5y ago
  You'll get bullied if you have the old AirPods instead of the new one anyway.
  - bradknowles 5y ago
    You’ll get bullied for anything, really. If they can’t find anything to bully you about that you actually are or are not doing, they’ll invent something for you to be blamed for doing or not doing. Bullies are bullies and they need to be kicked in the balls or have their jaws broken repeatedly, until such time as they stop being bullies.
hughrr 5y ago
Having spoken to a lot of Android users, and being a former rampant Android fanboy myself, I think people are fed up of getting screwed by Android vendors. The software support doesn't last particularly long, the support and repair networks for all the devices are terrible leaving you in the hands of dubious independent repairers and the longevity of the devices is poor. Also the accessory ecosystem is the usual crapfest of not knowing what you're getting, it barely even working properly and then being stuck with it.

advisedwang 5y ago

The raw data [1] seems highly seasonal. This is up from Q1/2/3 but actually down from Apple's 65% in Q4 2020. I wonder what this seasonality reflects. Are iPhones more [relatively] popular as gifts than when people buy for themselves? [1] https://www.counterpointresearch.com/us-market-smartphone-share/ https://www.counterpointresearch.com/us-market-smartphone-sh...

yen223 5y ago
Q4 I believe is typically when new iPhones are announced and launched.
Someone 5y ago
I don’t think that is enough data to conclude it is highly seasonal, but if it is a reason may be that Apple has a new model once a year or so, while there’s a new Android phone model every week (maybe exaggerating a tiny bit :-))

greatgib 5y ago

Looks like a symptom of last years US stupidity: people are screwed and happy with it because it is the trendy thing... Apple market shares are nothing like that in the rest of the world

ksec 5y ago

Again, this is Shipment, Market Shares in terms of Sales. I still dont know why this stats is being printed again and again other than if you are actually interested in its business operation. But if that is the case it has little to no relevance without revenue figure considering the range of Smartphone ASP varied so widely. We dont report Browser Downloads stats on a YoY and QoQ basis. We measure them in terms of usage as in usage market shares. And most people are completely mixing up the two. It is tiring.

skygazer 5y ago
Bank balance and cash flow are different, as well, but obviously one has a strong influence on the other. Likewise, airplanes have both altimeters and vertical speed indicators. Your VSI tells you what your altimeter will read in the future. Sales share is a leading indicator of market share/installed base. And obviously one year doesn’t make a trend, but if such a trend persists, then market share will eventually mirror sales, assuming consistent turnover/upgrade cycles. It’s definitely suggestive and worthy of notice. (Incidentally Apple is a just few percentage points away from market dominance and inviting regulation, which makes that percentage even more interesting.)