iPhone dominates smartphone shipments ahead of the iPhone 15 release – and that’s bad news for Android
Call it a knockout, but it looks like no worthy competitor can match the amount of smartphone shipments that Apple has managed to muster so far this year.
In fact, Apple’s iPhones occupy the top four spots according to the data collected by Omdia market tracker for smartphone models. The iPhone 14 Pro Max takes the top spot, with nearly 26.5 million units shipped during the first half of 2023, making it the most shipped smartphone.
Even more surprisingly, Apple took the top four spots on the list. These estimates bode well for the company’s upcoming iPhone 15 announcement, which will happen on September 12th. And given all the excitement and hype for this year’s iPhone lineup, which is rumored to offer the biggest upgrades in years, it will be interesting to see what happens for the second half of 2023.
Apple dominated the list and easily took on its closest competitor in the Android space. This is shocking in itself since there were more Android phones on the same list last year. All of this could give Apple a bigger piece of the pie as we head into the critical holiday period.
Good news for the iPhone 15
This list also highlights the fact that consumers aren’t afraid to spend money to get Apple smartphones, with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 taking the top three spots on the list. We are likely to see stronger sales of the upcoming most expensive models, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max / iPhone 15 Ultra, which are all rumored to be priced higher.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max/iPhone 15 Ultra, specifically, is rumored to start at $1,299 due to all the exclusive features and upgrades it’s expected to get — like a durable titanium frame, a periscope telephoto camera, an A17 Bionic chip, and more. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro is also expected to receive a price increase of $100, bringing its starting price to $1,100.
If this report is any indication, Apple may be on track to have stronger shipments for the latter half of the year. Considering how inflation affects consumer spending, it’s a sobering reminder that people are still willing to spend money to get the best phones available for themselves. Although shipments do not technically translate into sales, they are still an indicator of market demand.
Samsung is the only Android maker to make it to the list
Unfortunately for the rest of the field, it’s a one-sided issue with only Samsung being the only other phone maker to appear on the list. This is a stark contrast to the same period last year when two Redmi phones managed to make it to the list.
Shockingly, it is the Samsung Galaxy A13 that tops the list of the Korean smartphone maker. Global shipments of the budget phone reached 12.4 million units, which actually beats the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s total shipments of 9.6 million units. Other Samsung devices that complete the list include the Galaxy A14 5G, Galaxy A54 5G, and Galaxy A34 5G.
Pixel phones are noticeably absent
You’d think Google would make the list one way or another with its Pixel phones, but they were noticeably absent from the report. Which is somewhat unbelievable considering how aggressive Google is in pricing its smartphones.
For example, the Google Pixel 7a is one of the best cheap phones you can buy at $499 for a phone with mid-range specs. What’s more, its flagship Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro outperform their direct competitors by being $100 less than similar phones. You might think that this significant price cut would be enough to stimulate shipments of its phones, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
All this puts more pressure on the upcoming Pixel 8 phones to stand out in this field. Given how Apple is looking to steal most of the limelight with the expected release of iOS 17 and the announcement of iPhone 15, Android makers will need to respond accordingly so that it’s not on Apple’s radar for the holidays.
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