The iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and the iPhone X accounted for 61 percent of total U.S. iPhone sales in the fourth quarter of 2017, according to the latest consumer report by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP). That number is lower than the 72 percent the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus raked in during the same quarter last year.
CIRP bases its findings on its survey of 500 Apple customers who purchased an iPhone, iPad, or Mac in the U.S. between October and December 2017. Of those 500 purchases, the iPhone 8 accounted for 24 percent of total sales, with the iPhone 8 Plus at 17 percent. The iPhone X, the company’s flagship device — which Apple claimed would set a new precedent for future smartphones — took in 20 percent of sales.
As for the older models, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus accounted for almost one-quarter of sales, with the iPhone 6 and 6S Plus claiming 8 percent of sales. The iPhone SE sold almost as much as the 6S series during the same time.
Apple says it’s tricky to compare the latest iPhone models’ sales to the 2016 numbers for a few reasons. For starters, the iPhone X’s November release date means it wasn’t around for the full quarter. Another factor to consider is that even though Apple announced three new models at once, the company launched the new phones at different times.
CIPR’s consumer report comes shortly after Apple Insider pointed to a research note from KGI Securities suggesting Apple will retire the iPhone X. The end of the flagship device may come before the new lineup of iPhones are released in fall 2018.
KGI blames the design of the iPhone X for its lackluster sales, particularly in China. Even though the device features an edge-to-edge display — the largest screen ever on an iPhone, coming in at 5.8-inches — KGI believes the notch makes that assertion a bit misleading. It’s been claimed that it gives consumers the impression that there is less useful space than on the standard iPhone Plus model, which has a 5.5-inch screen.
While this year’s lineup is still too early to predict, it’s likely that Apple will continue to produce phones with a design similar to the iPhone X. Sales of iPhones are also still expected to continue to be strong. Apple is expected to become the world’s first company valued at $1 trillion at some point in 2018.
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