As Apple prepares to launch its new iPhone 6, the iPhone 5 remains the company’s most popular model in use, claims Localytics in a report that examines both mobile and web app analytics data from over 100 million iOS devices for the month of August 2014. According to the report, the iPhone 5 has 27 percent market share, edging out the year-old iPhone 5s, which has 25 percent. The now free on contract iPhone 4S rounds out the top three with 21 percent of the iPhone market.
With a new iPhone 6 on the horizon, these iPhone numbers will undoubtedly shift as owners upgrade their phones. The biggest change will likely be in the iPhone 5, which will lose market share as customers take advantage of upgrade offers.
The iPhone 5, launched in 2012, is Apple’s most popular phone with a 27% share, but only leads its successor, the 5s, by a small (2%) margin. This is likely because most iPhones come with a cheaper price if the consumer locks into a two-year contract, putting the average consumer on a two-year upgrade cycle. With the new iPhones expected to be available for purchase later this month, the iPhone 6 will likely eat into the iPhone 5’s market share.
While consumers tend to upgrade their iPhone on a regular basis, the latest Localytics data suggests the iPad has a longer lifespan. Though it is more than three years old, the iPad 2 remains the most popular iPad model in the company’s lineup with 29 percent market share. Though it is heavily advertised and has received rave reviews, the current iPad Air occupies fifth place with 13 percent market share, beating only the original iPad.
In the past couple of years, Apple has launched the iPhone in September and the iPad in October, but one recent rumor claimed the company may unveil both devices during its press event tomorrow. But while numerous have pointed toward introduction for both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6, along with the iWatch, new iPads are less certain.
