iPhone 15 Pro grows US sales as Apple's market share slumps

Apple's iPhone sales in the United States were down in July despite overall market growth, but the iPhone 15 Pro was a bright spot for the company's shipments.

The iPhone is the most popular smartphone brand in the United States, and has been for quite some time. However, in July, a report indicates that Apple's smartphone lineup stumbled while others flourished.

The US smartphone market as a whole saw sales grow year-on-year by 5%, according to Counterpoint. This was driven by growth from Samsung and Motorola, not from Apple.

By comparison, Apple saw its share shrink 4% year-on-year, which Counterpoint thought was due to low summertime upgrade rates. It's not as bad as it sounds, as it means a drop from a 53% share to 49% over the two years.

Smartphone sales in July in the U.S in 2024 and 2023 [Counterpoint]

Even so, there was a good sign for Apple. Sales of the iPhone 15 Pro were up "in double digits" for the period. With overall sell-through down, the improvement in the "high-value, high-margin" iPhone 15 Pro continues and ongoing theme of consumers opting for premium models.

The comments follow after a July 31 report showing that the iPhone 15 Pro was the third-most-popular smartphone in the world in terms of Q2 sales, at 3.1%. It was behind the iPhone 15 Pro Max with 3.7%, and the iPhone 15 with 4.1%.

The premium model uptick is always a welcome incident for analysts, as it shows consumers are more willing to pay for the higher-priced and higher-specification option.

With the advent of Apple Intelligence and the strong possibility it will catalyze sales, this all indicates Apple has good prospects ahead for its top-selling products.