iPhone 5S, 5C dominate smart phone sales across each major US carrier
The September dual iPhone release pushed Apple devices into the top spots for every major carrier in the US, bumping Samsung and others down a notch.
One of the first customers to purchase the Apple iPhone 5S celebrates after exiting the Apple Retail Store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York September 20, 2013. Apple Inc's newest smartphone models hit stores on Friday in many countries across the world.
Adrees Latif/REUTERS
The gold iPhone gets a gold medal: the iPhone 5S is the number one selling smart phone in the country.
According to Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley, as reported by AllThingsD, the iPhone 5S and 5C have been in the top three of all smart phones sold for the past four months, with the 5S selling above all.
The iPhone 5S news is not too surprising, as it quickly sold out of stores around the country. Though there were early talks of the iPhone 5C not selling as well as expected, and production potentially being hedged early, Mr. Walkley says it did well with customers looking for a cheaper model.
“Our surveys indicated continued strong sales of the iPhone 5S, as it was by far the top selling smartphone at all four tier-1 U.S. carriers and at most channels where the smartphone launched globally,” Walkley explains, according to AllThingsD. “Our surveys also indicated steady iPhone 5C sales with the smartphone’s color options and more affordable price point proving popular with its intended audience.”
The survey also shows that the two iPhones range in the top three for all major carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon Wireless. Previously, the iPhone 5 was Apple’s only entrant among top-selling phones, and was the top-selling phone only at AT&T. The Samsung Galaxy S 4 previously held the top spot.
Before the iPhone 5S and 5C were released in September, Apple, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Sony, and Motorola all were represented in the top charts between each of the major carriers, according to Apple Insider. The new release pushed all those brands, except for Samsung of the top charts.
And that is just on the consumer side. Business cloud-computing company Intermedia reported that six out of every eight phones it activated for small and medium-sized businesses in 2013 were from Apple, signaling a shift in the enterprise community. Previously, it activated more Samsung devices for businesses than any other smart phone brand. Whether it continues that way remains to be seen.
“Samsung surely recognizes its opportunity to tap this market,” says Intermedia in its year-end report. “With initiatives like their KNOX mobile security solution, Samsung will likely compete with Apple for business users by driving down prices, extending functionality and addressing SMB needs like security.”
Looks as if this battle between tech giants will rage on into the new year.