The Apple iPhone had a good year in 2023.
New reports indicate that that the iPhone dominated the top 10 sales list, taking 7 of the top slots.
Per tech marketing agency Counterpoint this is the first time Apple has achieved this level of success. Further, the top 10 smartphones achieved the highest combined level of share growing 1% y/y to reach 20%.
The Apple iPhone 14 took the top spot, followed by: iPhone 14 Pro Max; iPhone 14 Pro; iPhone 13; iPhone 15 Pro Max; iPhone 15 Pro; and the iPhone 15. Per the analysis the U.S. and China combined to account for half of all iPhone 14 sales.
Only one other brand made the top 10 and that was Samsung with the Galaxy A14 5G, Galaxy A04e and Galaxy A14 4G.
Still, perhaps some of this data is deceptive. Per Counterpoint, Apple sales flatlined in 2023 while the competition actually declined:
Apple’s total sales remained flat in 2023 even as major competitors declined. This stability was partly due to a significant boost from emerging markets like India and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). In 2023, India became the fifth smartphone market to exceed 10 million iPhone unit sales in a single year, highlighting the market’s growing importance for Apple. These factors contributed to the iPhone 15 series sales matching the performance of the iPhone 14 series in 2022.
Source: Counterpoint
One interesting thing to look for in 2024 is the emergence of Chinese brands on this list. We will see how that plays out as up-start brands attempt to make inroads against majors like Apple and Samsung.
Price will likely be a key competitive bludgeon.