How Many iPhones Have Been Sold Worldwide? - iPhone Sales Analyzed

Black turtleneck, glasses and a smug look. We’re talking about Steve Jobs, of course. A hero to some and a villain to others, Jobs became an epitome of an innovator and an entrepreneur. While developing iPhones, he dreamt of capturing a mere 1% of the smartphone market. So, how many iPhones have been sold worldwide?

Today, Apple is one of the most successful and profitable companies in the world, bringing in hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue. Locked in a seemingly perpetual battle with Google for the hearts and minds of consumers, Apple is present in almost every tech niche. The following text focuses on iPhone statistics.

iPhone Market Share Statistics

Before exploring how many iPhones have been sold, we’ll examine data about the smartphone market, Apple’s revenue, and Android vs iOS market share statistics. These facts will help you better understand the size of Apple and its influence in the smartphone world.

1. iPhone vs Android statistics show that iPhone holds the third largest global market share among smartphones. It trails Samsung in first position followed by Huawei in second.

(Technavio)

2. When it comes to mobile operating systems, Android and iPhone users statistics show that Apple holds about a quarter of the total market share. The remainder belongs to Android.

(StatCounter)

3. Since 2001, Apple stocks have risen by 15,000%. According to iPhone success statistics, that level of growth brought the company’s worth to $1 trillion.

(Mediakix)

4. iPhone sales statistics by country show that the Americas accounted for the biggest chunk of Apple’s revenue. In Q4 2019, revenue generated in this part of the globe amounted to $29.32 billion.

(Statista)

5. Apple statistics reveal that the company is the second most valuable brand in the US. Globally, it ranks as the third most valuable brand after Amazon and Google.

(Statista)

6. Impressive iPhone sales by year led to Apple generating a whopping $260 billion in revenue during 2019.

(Statista)

7. 2018 was a record-breaking year for Apple as the tech giant recorded its highest earnings. Apple stats show that iPhone sales accounted for over four-fifths of total revenues.

(Statista)

8. Judging by how many iPhones have been sold worldwide by Apple, it’s no wonder that Apple is the third-largest smartphone vendor in the world.

(Business Insider)

9. iPhone sales statistics by country reveal that the US is one of the few markets where Apple is ahead of Android. Apple claimed 55.5% of the American mobile vendor market.

(StatCounter)

10. Smartphone sales statistics show that there are over 100 million iPhone users in the US. That number is expected to surpass 110 million by 2021.

(Statista)

11. What percentage of the U.S. population has an iPhone? The most recent data suggests that almost a third of the US population owns an iPhone, accounting for 45% of all US smartphone users.

(Statista)

12. According to data drawn from Apple sales by country, China has the highest number of iPhone users. In 2017, there were 228 million active iPhones in China, while the US ranked second with 120 million.

(Statista)

13. As a result of a rare marketing miscalculation, Apple abandoned its first 4GB lower-tier phone. Meanwhile, Apple iPhone facts tell us that the company had to reduce the price of the 8GB version by $200.

(Cult of Mac)

14. Statistics on iPhone prices reveal a sharp increase in the cost of these devices over time. While the early models cost around $300, the newer ones come with a price tag of over  $1,000.

(Statista)

15. One of the more surprising facts about iPhones is that it accounted for 87% of all smartphone profits in 2018 while being responsible for only 18% of sales.

(Investor's Business Daily)

How Many iPhones Have Been Sold Worldwide?

We finally get to the big question, how many iPhones have actually been sold? The problem with answering this question stems from the fact that Apple stopped reporting sales figures for iPhones two years ago. But that hasn’t stopped us from compiling the latest stats from various sources as well as other relevant iPhone facts on specific models.

16. In November 2018, Apple announced it will no longer publish iPhone sales statistics.

(AppleInsider)

17. Before they stopped reporting sales figures, Apple sales statistics revealed how many iPhones have been sold worldwide. Between the time it started production and 2018, the company sold 2.2 billion iPhones.

(Lifewire)

18. According to Apple iPhone sales statistics, the tech giant sold over 217 million devices in 2018 alone.

(Statista)

19. iPhone sales statistics show that Apple generated more than half of its total revenue through iPhones sales.

(Statista)

20. Data compiled on iPhone sales by year, reveals that Apple brought in over $142 billion from iPhone sales in 2019 alone.

(Statista)

21. According to iPhone sale statistics, Apple generated $265.5 billion in 2018, making it the company’s most profitable year.

(Apple)

22. Statistics on iPhones show that Apple was selling 590 devices every minute in 2018. That translates into almost ten iPhones sold every second.

(ZDNet)

23. iPhone statistics from 2017 show that at the time there were 728 million iPhones being used worldwide.

(Statista)

24. So how many iPhone X have been sold worldwide? The available data put the number of sold units of Apple’s flagship phone at 63 million.

(Ubergizmo)

25. The new iPhone X is the priciest Apple device to date, costing around $1,000. iPhone sales statistics by model reveal that iPhone X accounted for 35% of global smartphone profits in 2018.

(AppleInsider)

26. In the third quarter of 2019, iPhone sales statistics by model show that iPhone XR was the most popular model. Furthermore, this version was the most-bought smartphone globally, capturing 3% of market share.

(Counterpoint Research)

27. Looking at the number of iPhones sold per year, there’s no doubt that iPhone 6 is the most popular iPhone of all time. iPhone 6 sales figures show that over 220 million units of this model have been sold.

(Investopedia)

28. If iPhone model usage statistics are to be believed, iPhone 8 is currently the most used iPhone. Newest iPhone device usage statistics indicate that 10.1% of the Apple user base relies on this model.

(David Smith blog)

iPhone Usage Statistics

Lastly, we looked at how these millions of iPhone users actually utilize their devices, focusing on the App Store and customer spending. For a more comprehensive look at Apple and iOS usage, check out our previous article.

29. iPhone app statistics compiled by Business of Apps found that Apple’s App Store has 2.2 million apps.

(Business of Apps)

30. After dishing out a sizeable chunk of cash to purchase an iPhone, Apple users don’t exactly hold back when it comes to buying apps. iPhone app sales statistics reveal that customers spent $46.6 billion in the Apple App Store in 2018.

(Statista)

31. Based on iPhone app usage statistics, we can conclude that the average price of apps and games in the App Store is $0.86.

(Statista)

32. Games are by far the most popular app category on the App Store. iPhone app download statistics show that games make up one-fifth of all active apps.

(Statista)

33. iPhone statistics point out that the average price for iOS game apps is $0.51 and lower than the average across all app categories.

(Statista)

34. Today, most people can’t imagine life without their mobile devices. But iPhone and Android statistics reveal that smartphone attachment is higher among iPhone users than those of other brands.

(Gallup)

35. While there are no exact figures on what percent of iPhone users are female, Apple consumer demographics show that iPhone users are less likely to be male.

(The Gospel Herald)