Apple’s iPhone is the world’s premium smartphone

Even as Apple prepares for big news announcements at WWDC, Apple’s iPhone is the world’s leading premium smartphone. It accounts for six of the ten best-selling premium smartphones, according to Canalys. In fact, the evidence suggests there’s little competition.

The iPhone has broken through

The data shows that iPhone 14 Pro Max became by far the best selling $500+ smartphone in Q1 2023. It was closely followed by the iPhone 14 Pro, with  iPhone 14 in third place.

iPhone 13 also sold well, taking fourth place ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

In sixth place sits the iPhone 14 Plus, with sales that exceed those of the next Android in the list, seventh place Galaxy S23. iPhone 12 took 8^th position, and iPhone SE sat just outside the top ten in eleventh place.

Apple gains, others don’t

That’s all good data for Apple. It makes it clear that smartphone shoppers like premium devices. 31 percent of all smartphones sold were premium devices, mostly from Apple.

And, while the smartphone market shrank 13.3% on a yearly basis, sales of premium devices (again, mostly Apple) grew 4.7%. In fact, Canalys recently pointed out that smartphones reached a record high ASP in Europe in Q1 2023, with 41% of devices costing over $800. iPhones, in other words.

Not bad given the economic headwinds we continue to face.

Trading places

Canalys last week revealed some other data around smartphone sales. Among other nuggets they found Apple increased its presence in the key emerging market of Brazil by 50% with iPhones grabbing 10% of the market.

They also found that Apple is literally snapping at the heels of Samsung in Western Europe. There it has 33% share (up 1%) in contrast to Samsung’s 35% (down 16%). How long until Apple claims first place?

Apple meanwhile is about to begin production of new models of iPhone. Its main manufacturing partner Foxconn is doing everything it can to convince armies of Chinese labor to help build them at the world’s biggest iPhone factory.

The next iPhone models are expected to introduce super-fast 3nm processors in the premium models. This will further enable Apple to extend its reach across global smartphone markets.

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