Counterpoint has released a new report indicating that the iPhone 8 outsold the Samsung Galaxy S9 in May — 8 months into the iPhone upgrade cycle. That’s pretty good news for Apple, who managed to grab three of the top five spots. Other phones on the top 10 list include the Xiaomi Redmi 5A and Huawei P20 Lite.
It looks like Apple’s back on top. The company may have had a few down months thanks other companies’ upgrade cycle, but it has again locked in the top-selling smartphone spot for May — though Samsung’s Galaxy S9 Plus wasn’t too far away from beating it, according to Counterpoint Research.
It makes sense that Samsung came so close — the company released the Galaxy S9 in March, and the Galaxy S9 Plus held the top spot for April as a result. Both of the two devices ended up with 2.4 percent of the smartphone market share, but in the end, the iPhone inched ahead. Of course, the iPhone 8 wasn’t the only phone to show up on the list — the iPhone X also appears, coming in third place. In fourth was the Xiaomi Redmi 5A, and the iPhone 8 Plus came in fifth. Other phones in the top 10, in order, include the likes of the standard Samsung Galaxy S9, Huawei P20 Lite, Vivo X21, Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus, and Oppo A83.
It’s a pretty big deal for Apple to grab three of the top five spots on the list and it comes after a series of big advertising campaigns for the company. For example, a new ad campaign was launched for the FIFA World Cup highlighting “How to shoot on an iPhone,” which has reportedly helped generate a lot of interest for the device, especially in Europe.
Even more notable about the fact that the iPhone 8 and iPhone X are so successful is that we’ll be getting a slew of new iPhones in a matter of a few months. Apple normally refreshes the iPhone in September, and that’s when we’re expecting to see a follow-up to the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. Apple is rumored to be moving to a lineup of three phones with the iPhone X design this time around, which could help generate even more sales. It’s likely the gap between the top-tier iPhone and the Galaxy S9 won’t be so close in a few months, when the new set of iPhones launch and Apple is expected to absolutely dominate the market — as it usually does.
It’s interesting that Samsung was able to get so close to Apple in May — new reports indicate that the company has missed profit estimates and suffered a 0.7 percent decline in sales year over year.
