iPhone US market share sees small jump as Android dominates

Although the iPhone is dominant in specific areas of the US smartphone market, it still trails behind Android in terms of overall usage.

Earlier statistics indicated that the iPhone is the preferred smartphone among teenagers, as 87% of teens currently have one, and 88% anticipate it will be their following phone selection, according to a report from April. Nonetheless, the latest study by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) shows that Apple's position in the US smartphone market has stayed consistent overall, maintaining its spot as the second most popular choice.

Over the last ten years, there has been a growing trend of Android users moving to iPhones, according to a report from May. However, statistics for "iOS versus Android" have another layer because only the iPhone can run iOS, as opposed to Google opening up Android to run on smartphones from numerous companies.

iOS share (US mobile phone customers, twelve months ending in September of each year)

Specifically, as of the annual period ending in September 2023, iOS accounted for 39% of smartphone sales. That challenges the popular narrative of iPhone dominance and offers a more balanced view of Apple's standing in the competitive landscape.

Apple's market share hasn't been static, it has seen fluctuations over the years. According to the report, the iPhone's market share has oscillated within a relatively narrow range — between 37% and 46% — over the past five years. Interestingly, iOS experienced its highest market share at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, that peak was followed by a gradual decline over the subsequent two years. The slight uptick to 39% in the year ending September 2023 suggests a reversal of this downward trend.

Several factors have contributed to these market share trends. In the early years of the smartphone era, Apple gained market share as it expanded its carrier partnerships beyond its initial exclusive agreement with AT&T.

Additionally, the exit of competitors like Blackberry and Windows phones from the market helped solidify the iOS-Android duopoly in the US. But while the market shares of both platforms have been relatively consistent since then, Apple has been more successful in persuading Android users to switch to iPhones.

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15 Comments

saarek 1578 comments · 16 Years

About 1 year ago

One would suspect that some of the fluctuations occur during a notable release, such as the iPhone X, or during an unusual event.

Afterall most keep their iPhones for 3-5 years now. I’m guessing the cheaper Android handsets that make up the bulk of their sales get exchanged far quicker on average.

davebarnes 374 comments · 19 Years

When you look at market share, you should break out the numbers by family income.

After all, do we really care about the homeless with Bush/Obama Android phones?

tmay 6455 comments · 11 Years

Yeah, I'm not buying that CIRP metric, since there are many other sources that state that iPhone U.S. user base is larger than Android OS user base.

https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/us-smartphone-market-share

But sure, Android OS smartphone sales are greater than iPhone sales in the U.S., maybe.

What does that tell me? Well, it says to me that iPhone users actually hold on to their phones longer and are likely passing their older phones down to other users.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/11/technology/apple-iphone-17.html#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%2C%20the,of%2013%20percent%20in%202019.

By Tripp Mickle
Tripp Mickle has reported on Apple for seven years and will cover his fifth iPhone unveiling on Tuesday.
Sept. 11, 2023
There’s a general rule about consumer electronics: The older a device becomes, the more competitors appear and prices fall. This was true for televisions, personal computers and portable music players.
It was supposed to happen with smartphones. But the iPhone has defied gravity.
On Tuesday, Apple will unveil the 17th iteration of its flagship product. Remarkably, at an age in which most consumer devices have lost some of their appeal to users, Apple has increased its share of smartphone sales over less expensive rivals.
Over the past five years, the iPhone has increased its percentage of total smartphones sold around the world while expanding its share of sales in four of the world’s largest regions: China, Japan, Europe and India.
In the United States, the iPhone’s largest market, the device now accounts for more than 50 percent of smartphones sold, up from 41 percent in 2018, according to Counterpoint Research, a technology firm. The gains have helped it claim about a fifth of the world’s smartphone sales, up from a low of 13 percent in 2019.