Apple's iPhone XR outsold every other smartphone each quarter since launch

Love it or hate it, the iPhone XR is a bonafide success. As Counterpoint Research reported on Christmas Eve, Apple’s 2018 smartphone has topped global sales charts each quarter since its release.

The entry-level iPhone, which debuted in September of 2018, captured 3% of smartphone sales globally in 2019Q3, beating out the Samsung Galaxy A10 and Galaxy A50 (2.6% and 1.9%, respectively). The XR also accounted for over 25% of Apple’s total sales in Q3, outselling every other device the Cupertino Colossus currently sells. 

Not to be completely outdone, the iPhone 11 cracked the top 10 in global sales this quarter. Apple’s 2019 base-level iPhone nabbed 1.6% of sales, putting it in 5th place. 

Samsung and Oppo were other big winners this quarter. In addition to the Galaxy A10 and Galaxy A50 mentioned above, the Galaxy A20 came in 7th with 1.4% of total sales. Oppo’s A9, A5s, and A5 came in 4th, 6th, and 8th, respectively, capturing 1.6%, 1.5%, and 1.3% of global sales, respectively. Xiaomi and Huawei rounded out the top 10 with the Redmi 7A (1.2%) and the P30 (1.1%). 

Overall, unit sales of the top 10 smartphones grew year-over-year, hitting 17% total sales in 2019Q3 compared to 15% in 2018Q3. However, the presence of mid-range handsets caused a 30% decline in revenue. Overall profits fell 11% year-over-year due to the lower price tags of the bestselling phones.