It has been several months since Apple launched the iPhone XR, and despite the fact new iPhones are on the way, the less expensive iPhone is still doing very well for itself.
According to the latest research from the Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, the iPhone XR was nearly half of all the iPhone sales in the United States ending in the fiscal quarter of June. The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max did pretty well, too, but the iPhone XR held down the lion’s share:
The sales indicate that Apple’s iPhone XR has become the “dominant” iPhone model among the lot:
iPhone XR has become the dominant iPhone model,” said Josh Lowitz, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder. “Its 48% share of sales in the quarter is the highest we’ve seen for an individual model since the iPhone 6 in 2015, which shared top billing with the 6 Plus, but only had two outdated legacy models offered as alternatives. Apple set out to create a competitive model, with current features like a large screen on a midsize handset, at a price that falls near the leading Android phones. It is an easy to choose the mid-point between the expensive XS and XS Max models, and the older 7 and 8 models.
But, what about services? Apple is obviously leaning heavily into a variety of them, including iCloud, Apple Music, Apple News+, and others. Turns out that iCloud is (obviously) still the dominant force for the company. But Apple Music is climbing that ladder consistently:
Success in services has varied, depending on the competition and how much of a head-start Apple has,” said Mike Levin, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder. “For example, for a long time Apple had one of the only apps for podcasts, so its podcast app has the highest penetration for iPhone buyers. In contrast, Apple TV competes against Netflix and other streaming video services, and has lower penetration. Even though Apple has offered extended warranties for many years, mobile carriers and retailers like Best Buy offer their own and third-party warranties, so AppleCare has a much lower penetration., After Apple discontinued iTunes, Apple Music is its unififed music service, yet its 35% share still puts it behind Spotify and Pandora.
Perhaps the revelation that the iPhone XR is still going strong in 2019 is a surprise in itself, or rather maybe not considering its less expensive price tag when compared to the higher-end models. It’s certainly no surprise to see Apple Music taking off for the company.
Did you, or anyone you know, buy an iPhone XR in 2019?