Apple’s new 2017 iPhone models – iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X – made up for about 61% of iPhone sales in the United States, according to a new consumer study from CIRP. This is lower than the 72% share iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus took in the same quarter a year ago.
Comparisons to the 2016 cycle are difficult due to the staggered debut of the (higher priced) iPhone X in November, but it seems like older iPhone models sold better than usual during the holiday season.
From October to December 2017, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus accounted for about a quarter of sales in the US as reported by CIRP. The 6s and 6s Plus held an 8% share. The SE sold about as much as the 6s series in the same period despite lack of hardware refresh (an ‘SE 2’ has been rumored to launch in 2018).
Again, supply constraints with iPhone X and its significantly higher price point make direct comparisons to the year ago more complicated. This report estimates iPhone X made up about 20% of total iPhone sales in the 2017 holiday quarter, a very respectable portion of sales considering it didn’t go on sale until November.
This follows a trend that customer reception to larger screen size continues to increase. The 6s Plus, 7 Plus and 8 Plus made up 30% of total sales with an additional 20% buying the iPhone X. This means half of iPhones sold in the quarter had screen sizes larger than 4.7-inches, the largest ever share. In terms of company financials, bigger-screened iPhones are also more expensive contributing to higher iPhone ASP and revenue.
Apple is expected to aggressively expand its larger-screen offerings with the 2018 iPhone lineup. KGI believes the company will introduce a new 6.4-inch OLED ‘iPhone X Plus’, a 6.1-inch LCD cheaper iPhone, and a revision of iPhone X.
The CIRP study analyzes product mix within the iPhone range. It does not comment on total iPhones sold in the US, which other reports have claimed are on the weaker side. Apple will report its fiscal Q1 (calendar Q4) earnings on February 1st. Apple is predicting a record quarter, exceeding $80 billion dollars in revenue.
