iPhone 15 and 15 Plus Proving Less Popular With Buyers This Year

Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models were its most purchased smartphones in the U.S. in the first quarter of this year, according to the latest Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) report.

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 15 Feature
The ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro and Pro Max accounted for 22% and 23% of all iPhones sold in Q1 2024, for a 45% combined share. The ‌iPhone‌ 15 Plus took a 9% share of all iPhones sold, while the ‌iPhone‌ 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 14 were the third most popular, each taking 14% of the share.

The ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro and Pro Max share hardly changed compared to the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and Pro Max the same quarter a year ago. However, Apple saw sales of the base model ‌iPhone‌ 15 decline relative to a year ago. The overall mix of ‌iPhone‌ 15 models was lower, accounting for 68% of all ‌iPhone‌ sales.

By contrast, in Q1 2023 the ‌iPhone‌ 14 series had a 7% higher share of all iPhones sold, taking 75% combined. The percentages suggest that the ‌iPhone‌ 14 and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus were more popular than the ‌iPhone‌ 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Plus over the equivalent quarter the previous year.

CIRP iphone 14 15 quarters compared
Noting the change, CIRP comments:

We see this as a continuation of a trend from the past couple of quarters, as the lower- priced current models give up some share to older models. The once flagship, now base iPhone 15, is no longer the leading-edge choice, as the Pro and Pro Max models take that role.

Last week, CIRP released a report indicating that new ‌iPhone‌ activations are down to a low not seen in the U.S. smartphone market for the last six years.

CIRP said that Apple's installed smartphone base was higher than recorded activations, but Apple's share of new ‌iPhone‌ activations fell from 40% to 33% over the past year, suggesting a shift away from the higher market shares Apple enjoyed in previous years.

Tag: CIRP

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
top stories 2025 12 04a

Top Stories: iOS 26.2 Coming Soon, Apple Execs Depart, and More

Saturday December 6, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd expect things to be starting to wind down for the holidays by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case yet in the world of Apple news, with Apple just about ready to release iOS 26.2 and other operating system updates to the public. There was also a flurry of news this week about Apple executive departures, some expected and some not so expected, while we also learned that Apple and...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...

Top Rated Comments

oofio2461 Avatar
21 months ago
60hz and last year's chipset, apple has made the base iPhone into a joke even more each year.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JohnRckr Avatar
21 months ago
Maybe because the only difference between them is dYnaMic iiSlanD

Truly breakthrough tech thank you Tim Apple
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Vimy Avatar
21 months ago
I don't think this is iPhone specific. The economy is just crap. Older iPhones are cheaper.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
abatabia Avatar
21 months ago
I hate to be that comment but….there’s only so many times you can basically repeat the same phone before you just lose interest and hang onto what you have. My 13PM is still a beast. My 14Pro is very meh, and my desire to even get the 16 is just not there yet.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Darth Tulhu Avatar
21 months ago
This is yet one of those things where the existing hardware exceeds the needs of the majority of folks using these devices.

I have an iPhone 12 Pro, and upgrading is pointless.

The better camera, processor, RAM, etc are relatively superfluous to me; I'm not a pro photographer, my emails and texts won't get to me any faster...

Why pay WAY more for a device that won't add any real-world value?
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gatorvet96 Avatar
21 months ago
Shows that Apple is very successful in making people go up the product ladder to more expensive SKUs. It is very intentional and no one does a better job of that marketing scheme.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)