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Apple's iPhone XR Was Most Popular Smartphone in 2019 Based on Shipment Estimates

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The iPhone XR was the world's most popular smartphone in 2019, with Apple outshipping all other smartphone models, according to new data shared today by research firm Omdia.

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Apple shipped an estimated 46.3 million iPhone XR units in 2019, which is more than double the 23.1 million units shipped in 2018. iPhone XR shipments were also nine million units higher than the second most popular model, which was Apple's iPhone 11. Apple shipped an estimated 37.3 million iPhone 11 models.

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After the iPhone XR and iPhone 11, the Galaxy A10 was the third most popular smartphone, with Samsung shipping 30.3 million units. The Samsung A50, Samsung A20, and iPhone 11 Pro Max came in fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.

"Apple has consistently owned the first and second positions in the global smartphone model shipment ranking, with the company maintaining this dominant position for more than five years running," said Jusy Hong, smartphone research and analysis director at Omdia. "The company's continued dominance on this front is all the more remarkable when considering that Apple's price hikes caused overall iPhone shipments to decline last year. By limiting the number of models it offers compared to its top competitors, Apple has been able to concentrate its sales on a few smartphones that have broad appeal, like the iPhone XR."

Apple has continued selling the iPhone XR alongside the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 11 Pro as a lower cost option, priced starting at $599. The iPhone XR is $100 cheaper than the $699 starting price point of the iPhone 11.

Omdia is a research firm that was established following the merger of the research division of Informa Tech and the IHS Markit technology research portfolio.

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Top Rated Comments

NickName99 Avatar
NickName99
86 months ago
I like how the XR is #1, and the iPhone 11 is #2. Both have the 6.1” display that so many nerds were complaining wasn’t 1080p or OLED.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michael Scrip Avatar
Michael Scrip
86 months ago
I'm not surprised by Apple's performance on this list.

Apple is the #3 smartphone OEM in the world by sales... so they obviously sell a lot of phones in general. Plus they only sell a handful of individual models... and it makes sense that their affordable iPhone XR had the top spot.

But what is a surprise is that not a single "flagship" Samsung phone is on that list.

For all the advertising Samsung does... and all the hullabaloo about cameras, OLED displays, reverse wireless charging, tiny bezels, etc... it's their budget models that sell the most.

A phone had to sell at least 15.2 million units to even be on this list.

So that means no Galaxy S10 model sold 15.2 million units throughout the entire year. That's wild.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPack Avatar
JPack
86 months ago
Remember the time when some bozos thought the XR wouldn’t sell?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DakotaGuy Avatar
DakotaGuy
86 months ago
I’m just glad that this data proves we can finally move on from all the “everyone wants the old tiny screens back” chatter around this place. When the best selling phone has a 6.1” display it’s time to leave the 3.5” and 4” screens in the past.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I
incoherent_1
86 months ago

I’m just glad that this data proves we can finally move on from all the “everyone wants the old tiny screens back” chatter around this place. When the best selling phone has a 6.1” display it’s time to leave the 3.5” and 4” screens in the past.
I’m also glad this data proves we can finally move on from people wanting to buy a neon orange iPhone. I mean, they don’t sell a neon orange iPhone, but they don’t sell a modern smaller-screened iPhone either, so why not just make wild assumptions about that too? /s
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B
Braderunner
86 months ago

I’m just glad that this data proves we can finally move on from all the “everyone wants the old tiny screens” chatter around this place. When the best selling phone has a 6.1” display it’s time to leave the 3.5” and 4” screens in the past.
Nobody wants an “old tiny” screen. There are people, however, who want a smaller phone.
Especially since its now possible to fit a ”new larger” screen on a phone the size of the “old pocketable“ phones. Think different. For everyone else...there’s Samesung.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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