Apple's iPhone XR was the best selling iPhone in the third fiscal quarter of 2019, according to new data shared today by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).
The iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR models accounted for 67 percent of all U.S. iPhone sales during the third quarter of 2019, with the iPhone XR alone accounting for 48 percent of sales.
The iPhone's 48 percent share of smartphone sales during the quarter is the highest that's been seen for an individual model since the iPhone 6 in 2015, according to CIRP.
"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seen for an individual model since the iPhone 6 in 2015, which shared top billing with the 6 Plus, but only had two outdated legacy models offered as alternatives.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."
The iPhone XR is Apple's most affordable iPhone, priced starting at $749 in the United States. It is similar to the iPhone XS and XS Max, but offers an LCD display instead of an OLED display along with a single-lens camera instead of a dual-lens camera.
It also comes in a range of bright colors, and due to its popularity, Apple is keeping its three iPhone lineup intact for its 2019 iPhone lineup. The 2019 iPhones will include an iPhone XS successor, an iPhone XS Max successor, and an iPhone XR successor that will continue to offer an LCD display to keep costs lower.
The next-generation iPhone XR is rumored to feature new colors, more RAM (4GB, up from 3GB), faster LTE thanks to support for 4x4 MIMO, and it could also have camera improvements in the form of a new dual-lens camera setup that would likely be similar to the current dual-lens camera in the iPhone XS and XS Max.
CIRP's research data also looked at some numbers for Apple's various services. Among iPhone buyers during the quarter, 47 percent use paid iCloud storage, while three to six percent purchased AppleCare.
35 percent of iPhone buyers use Apple Music, while 15 to 29 percent use Apple TV, Apple Podcasts, and Apple News. Apple has several other services on the horizon which could draw in more users, including Apple TV+, its upcoming streaming service, and Apple Arcade, a gaming service that will provide access to games for a monthly fee.
