US shoppers increasingly buying iPhones from carriers instead of Apple

Between 2013 and 2015, the number of U.S. shoppers who bought through carriers rose from 65 percent to 76 percent, according to a Consumer Intelligence Research Partners report obtained by the Wall Street Journal. In the same timespan, Apple's share dropped from 16 percent to 11 percent.

The remaining 13 percent of 2015 iPhones were purchased through third-party retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart.

Apple tends to make more profit selling through its own stores, where it can also exert more control over the shopping experience — this includes selling people on first-party accessories, AppleCare, and/or the iPhone Upgrade Program. Perhaps more importantly for the company, shoppers in an Apple Store have less chance to compare competing smartphones.

All four major U.S. carriers, however, are now favoring monthly leases and installment plans, which can offer strong incentive to buy through them instead of Apple. They have a wider geographic reach as well, with many more retail outlets.

Carriers are even reportedly gaining ground with their share of iPad sales, which jumped from 6 percent in 2013 to 18 percent last year. Apple's share held firm at 23 percent, meaning that the carriers grew at the expense of other retailers.

The largest share of U.S. Macs — 44 percent — were bought through Apple, with Best Buy coming a distant second at 20 percent.