A new Gartner report claims Apple’s Q3 2019 iPhone sales fell by more than 10%, compared to the same period the previous year.
Gartner says global smartphone demand as a whole during the quarter was “weak.” However, the report indicates Both Samsung and Huawei were able to increase their market share. (It should be noted that while Apple sells only “high-end” smartphones, Samsung and Huawei both sell smartphones ranging from high-end down to cheap “burner” style phones.)
From the report:
“For the majority of smartphone users, desire has shifted away from owning the least expensive smartphone. Today’s smartphone user is opting for midtier smartphones over premium-tier ones because they offer better value for money,”
The report also indicates many smartphone users are holding off the purchase of a new smartphone until 2020 due to 5G expectations.
The report claims Apple sold 40.8 million units in Q3 2019, at 10.5% market share. For comparison purposes, it reportedly shifted 45.7 million units in the same quarter last year. That’s a year-over-year drop of 10.7%. (These are not exact figures, as Apple does not announce exact sales numbers for its iPhone lineup.)
“Although Apple continued its sales promotions and discounts in various markets, this was not enough to stimulate demand globally,” said said Anshul Gupta, senior research director at Gartner. “In the Greater China market sales of iPhones continued to improve, however, it follows a double-digit decline recorded at the beginning of the year. The iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max saw good initial adoption, which suggests that sales may be positive in the remaining quarter.”
The report notes that initial adoption rates for the new iPhone 11 lineup were strong, and expects to see Black Friday and other holiday promotions spur demand across the board in Q4 2019.
