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iPhone 5s Top-Selling Smartphone at All U.S. Carriers, iPhone 5c Takes Third

Thursday December 12, 2013 10:38 am PST by Jordan Golson
The iPhone was the top-selling smartphone at AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile for September, October and November of this year, according to Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley (via AppleInsider). We previously covered Walkley's September numbers.

The iPhone 5s, which came out in the second half of September, has proved extremely popular with customers and has only recently gotten close to a supply/demand balance.

Carrier Sales
Before the iPhone 5s and 5c's release, Apple, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Sony, and Motorola all had handsets enjoying top-three sales at at least one of America's big four carriers. Apple's September announcement pushed all but Samsung out of the picture and relegated the South Korean conglomerate's Galaxy S4 to the runner-up position across the board.

Apple has maintained a significant edge outside of the U.S. as well, even before the long-anticipated launch of the company's devices on China Mobile, the world's largest wireless carrier. The iPhone 5s was "by far the top selling smartphone...at most channels where the smartphone launched globally," Walkley notes.
Samsung's Galaxy S 4, the iPhone's chief competitor, now holds second place across all carriers with the iPhone 5c coming in third. Closer to the launch of the 5c and 5s, the 5c held second place at AT&T and Sprint.

Last year, the numbers were similar, although with different phone models. NPD claimed the iPhone 5 was the best-selling model of Q4 2012, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S III, and then the iPhone 4s and iPhone 4 models.

[ 230 comments ]


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Rogifan
70 months ago

Wow, so the 5c can't even outsell the Galaxy S4? Failure.

Or rather, good product, wrong price.


Why should Apple's mid-tier phone be outselling Samsung's flagship device?
Rating: 20 Votes
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Small White Car
70 months ago


I know Apple want to maintain their margins, and they're obviously doing that, but the more they cling to that strategy the more they are seeing market share slip away. You can only continue down that path for so long... eventually it will reach a tipping point where the best app developers don't bother developing for iOS anymore (or, at least, treat it as a second class platform).

Why will developers bother with iOS once Android has 80% (90%? 95%?) market share?


Every new survey or study I read says that iOS users still lead other platforms in terms of how much they use their devices to buy apps, buy products, browse the web, and pay for services.

Each. (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57595060-37/ipad-web-traffic-share-hits-84-percent-says-ad-network/) And every (http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/06/tech/mobile/ios-android-mobile-shopping/). Single (http://www.cultofandroid.com/30048/ios-users-are-30-more-likely-to-buy-stuff-via-device-than-android-users/). One (http://www.forbes.com/sites/ayoomojola/2013/09/26/ios-is-for-revenue-android-is-for-ads/).

These are the things developers care about.

And you're asking me to believe that the opposite is happening? That all of these articles are the end of an era, and things are turning around now? By all means, provide your own proof. Until then, I think you're crazy.
Rating: 14 Votes
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Branskins
70 months ago

And elsewhere around the world, where the price is significantly higher, the iPhone lags in sales.


Even with something positive, someone is negative :confused:
Rating: 11 Votes
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Dulcimer
70 months ago

Even with something positive, someone is negative :confused:


I saw the other positive comments; I had to provide a balance :p
Rating: 11 Votes
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Dulcimer
70 months ago
And elsewhere around the world, where the price is significantly higher, the iPhone lags in sales.
Rating: 10 Votes
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osofast240sx
70 months ago

The S4 is a better phone than the 5C.

but the 5c has a better overall user experience!
Rating: 9 Votes
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Col Ronson
70 months ago

You think it actually broadened Apple's customer base? I continue to doubt it.


there have been many reports 50% of 5C users were android converts

regardless, the 5C being the 3rd best selling smartphone ahead of all other androids or windows phones means the 5C is selling well
Rating: 9 Votes
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Klae17
70 months ago
Success for the 5c. It did its job.
Rating: 8 Votes
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mdelvecchio
70 months ago


Why will developers bother with iOS once Android has 80% (90%? 95%?) market share?


easy: because iOS users are better customers. they spend more than android users. this is a documented fact. what good do a bunch of random android builds in china do for me as a dev? i could care less what the latest freebie phones are running. i want access to *customers* -- people who spend money.

vhat a concept!
Rating: 8 Votes
Avatar
inkswamp
70 months ago

Please elaborate. Give real-world examples and a side-by-side comparison. Waiting...


Careful what you ask for.

When you prompt an Android fan to explain why Android is better than iOS, you are going to get responses that show how badly Android wants to be a desktop OS. Android can do all sorts of fun things that a desktop OS can do that iOS can't but in the end, it's a mobile OS so really, beyond the hardcore geek crowd, who cares?

As far as being a really good mobile OS, Android fails. I've used it a lot and it's a complete mess as a mobile OS. Using Android, to me, feels like running around in clothes that are one size too big. Sure, it gets the job done, but boy, is it a hassle and it just never feels quite right.

And none of that is ameliorated by the fact that you can easily access the file system or side-load apps or run task managers or whatever reasons are about to spill forth.
Rating: 8 Votes

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