27 iPhone Statistics to Make Steve Jobs Smile in Heaven

America and apples. A love story hundreds of years in the making. Although apples originated in Asia and apple pies were eaten in Europe long before the birth of the United States, the dish became synonymous with national pride and prosperity as the American nation grew. The type of apple that we crave might have changed, but Apple remains a staple of the American way of life. Whether you’re a fan of Johnny Appleseed or Steve Jobs, you can find apples almost anywhere you look in America these days. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some iPhone statistics and see how the rest of the world measures up.

iPhone sales statistics

1. Over 1.5 billion iPhones have been sold since 2007.

(Statista) (GSM Arena)

If we add in all of the iOS devices sold to date, the number surpasses 2 billion. Between the launch of its first model in 2007 and 2015, Apple iPhone sales statistics have seen a steady yearly growth. After a dip in 2016, there has been a steady growth trend in the past couple of years. The number of iPhones sold in 2007 was only 1.39 million.

2. 217.72 million iPhones were shipped worldwide in 2018.

(Statista) (Canalys)

According to Statista, iPhone sales in 2018 have improved marginally since 2017. But, the 2018 iPhone sales by year are still behind the 2015 record of 231.22 million.

According to iPhone 6 statistics, the model was extremely popular at the time, contributing to the record. The iPhone 6, alongside it’s big brother, the iPhone 6 Plus, remains one of the most used iPhone devices to date.

3. Apple earned $142.4 billion from iPhone sales between September 2018 and September 2019

(Apple Newsroom)

iPhone stats show a decline from $164.9 billion during the same period last year. This affected global revenue less significantly than expected, as Apple sold more iPads, wearables, and accessories during the same period. According to iPhone sales stats, iPhones were still the primary revenue generator for Apple, and they only lost around $5.5 billion compared to the same time period last year. America accounted for the largest percentage of Apple sales, with Europe and China taking second and third place.

4. With more than $33 billion earned, iPhone sales accounted for over half of Apple’s profit in the fourth quarter of 2019.

(Apple Newsroom)

It is no secret that mobile phones have been the largest profit generator for Apple in over a decade. iPhone statistics are the primary metric that Apple is concerned with, and for good reason. A report from the fourth quarter of 2019 shows around $33.3 million of the total $64 billion quarterly revenue accounting for iPhone sales. However, this represents a decline of 9% over last year’s fourth-quarter numbers.

5. New iPhone models will cost between $499 and $1,499 in 2019.

(USA Today)

With the release of the 11 series, older models have gotten price cuts. The iPhone 8 is now down to $449 from $599 - the same price as the iPhone XR. The list of new iPhones includes three 11-series models, the cheapest of which starts at $699. Finally, the most expensive model is the flagship iPhone 11 Pro Max with the 512 GB option, costing a staggering $1,499. For this much money, you could buy two of the basic models or three iPhone 8 devices, and still have money to spare. But, this device has the longest battery life of any iPhone to date.

6. Apple held 12.4% of the global smartphone market share in the third quarter of 2019.

(Strategy Analytics)

According to Strategy Analytics, Apple’s iPhone market share worldwide is still fairly small compared to its arch rival, Samsung. The South Korean giant leads the smartphone pack with 21.3% of the market, followed by China’s Huawei with 18.2%.

Trailing behind Apple are two more Chinese manufacturers - Xiaomi with 8.8% and OPPO with 8%. iPhone stats show a slight drop from 13% market share during the same period last year.

Nevertheless, the average iPhone price tends to be a lot higher than that of its rivals. The reason for this is that Apple has a much smaller selection of phones, which mostly fall within the premium price range.

7. iPhones held 41% of the market share in the United States in the second quarter of 2019.

(Counterpoint)

There is a much higher percentage of iPhone users in the US than anywhere else in the world, except for Japan. It is therefore not surprising that iPhone sales in the US are still dominating the market, ahead of Samsung, LG and Lenovo.

Apple increased its market share by 2% over Q1 2019 and 1% over Q2 2018. In comparison, Samsung lost 7%, and was at 21% during Q2 2019. LG was third with 13% of the market share in America, followed by Lenovo with 8%.

8. Apple made 45.6 million mobile phone shipments globally in the third quarter of 2019.

(Strategy Analytics)

If you’re wondering how many iPhones have been sold over the course of the year so far, Q1 of 2019 saw another 36.4 million, while in Q2 there were 36.5 million shipments worldwide. The total number has reached over 118 million during the first three quarters of the year. Apple statistics show that Q3 numbers are down 3% from the same quarter in 2018.

9. Apple’s iPhone XR accounted for 48% of all iPhone sales in the United States in the first half of 2019.

(Statista) (CNET)

iPhone XR stats and iPhone model usage statistics show that the newest models account for the largest percentage of current Apple sales. Since its release in October of 2018, the XR has been Apple’s most popular smartphone, shipping over 30 million units in the first half of 2019. iPhone X sales numbers also topped the charts when it first appeared. We expect the trend to continue, with the latest current iPhone  models -- IPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro -- gaining ground in the last quarter of 2019 and throughout 2020.

iPhone demographics

10. There were around 1.4 billion Apple devices worldwide as of March 2019.

(Apple Newsroom)

These include iPhones, iPods, iPads, Mac computers, Apple TV, and Apple Watches. Estimates have iPhones accounting for around 900 million of those devices. iPhone popularity far eclipses that of other Apple products and its revenue statistics prove that. Active devices are measured by Apple as devices connected to the ICloud. Both iPads and Mac computers have been selling better recently, but the number of active iPhone users still outclasses that of all other Apple devices.

11. Installed base in the United States reached 193 million iPhone units as of March 2019.

(CIRP)

The number of iPhone users installing an iPhone device in the United States grew 2% from December 2018 and as much as 12% from the same quarter last year. There is a slow but consistent growth trend each year, with the installed base in December of 2016 being around 140 million units, and growing over 5% over the next few years. iPhone statistics show that as unit sales slow down and people keep their devices for longer periods of time, the growth rate of newly installed devices is getting smaller each year.

12. There were 101.9 million active iPhone users in the United States in 2018.

(Statista)

Nearly 80% of people living in the United States use mobile phones. According to Statista, 257.3 million people had access to mobile phones in 2018. That means that, according to iPhone usage stats, almost half of those people were using an Apple product. The only real competition came from Samsung, who accounted for around 28% of cellphone users in the US in 2018. The projections have Apple growing to around 110 million active users by 2021.

If you’re wondering how many people use iPhones out of brand loyalty, the number sits at around 43.8%. Another 23.2% simply enjoy the functionalities of the phone, without any brand loyalty.

13. 83% of teens in the United States own an iPhone.

(Piper Jaffray)

Another 86% of respondents expect an iPhone to be their next phone. Statistics concerned with the demographics of Apple users  worldwide have shown that the United States has the largest percentage of iPhone users in the world, with Apple having 41% of the US market share, compared to just 12.4% worldwide. Looking at these iPhone facts we can conclude that Gen Z in America is perhaps the most important consumer market for iPhone devices anywhere in the world.

iPhone usage statistics

14. iOS is the operating system of choice for 35.71% of mobile-phone users globally.

(Scientia Mobile)

When looking at mobile operating systems in use around the world, it’s really a battle of iOS vs Android. Other operating systems accounted for a measly 0.41% of the market in Q2 of 2019. Google is definitely winning the Android vs IOS war thanks to the multitude of budget Android phones on the market. According to Scientia Mobile, Android held 63.88% of the mobile OS market share in Q2 of 2019 - down from 65.22% in Q1. In comparison, iOS sits at just over a third of users worldwide, improving from 34.36% in Q1 to 35.71% in Q2 of 2019.

15. 50% of all iPhone devices use iOS 13.

(Apple)

According to the latest statistics from Apple, their newest operating system has already been installed on around half of all iPhone devices. Another 41% use the iOS version 12. The remaining 9% are split between older OS versions. When it comes to iOS statistics  on newer devices, 55% of those introduced in the last four years use iOS 13, 38% use iOS 12, and only around 7% run on other operating systems.

Apple famously admitted in 2017 that it slows down performance on older phones with new OS versions. The official word was that it helps counteract aging batteries, but many iPhone users are convinced it’s another ploy to keep people buying new models. Considering that there were some instances of iPhones blowing up due to issues with volatile lithium batteries, it’s feasible to imagine that this explanation placated at least some of Apple’s fan base.

16. With 5.41% of users worldwide, the iPhone 7 is the most commonly-used mobile phone model in the world.

(Scientia Mobile)

Despite Apple’s efforts at making its consumers buy new phones every year, financial constraints play a major role in shopping decisions, too.

Out of all the facts about the iPhone 7, the most important one is this: the iPhone 7 is currently the single most-used mobile device in the world.

According to Scientia Mobile’s statistics on iPhone users, Apple takes not only the first, but the top six spots on the market when it comes to the most widely used mobile phones in the world. The iPhone 7 is followed by the  iPhone X with 4.01%, the iPhone 8 with 3.91%, the iPhone 6s with 3.68%, the iPhone 8 Plus with 3.62% and the iPhone 7 Plus with 2.80% of global mobile phone users currently.

These iPhone statistics on usage around the world really put things into perspective - Apple might not have the lead when it comes to market share worldwide, but their limited selection of mobile phones is very popular worldwide.

17. With 40.5 hours of battery life, the iPhone 11 Pro Max is Apple’s longest lasting smartphone ever.

(Consumer Reports)

The iPhone battery usage statistics from Consumer Reports are based on simulating the average consumer’s usage patterns. Research was performed by testing the phone in a variety of scenarios, from SMS messaging and phone calls to video playback. The expensive flagship comes in starting at $1,249, but it sets a new gold standard for iPhone battery life, ahead of the new 11 Pro at 34 hours and the standard model with 28.

Apple has clearly been making major improvements in this area if we consider that the best iPhones in the past struggled to reach the 20-hour mark in similar tests.

18. Siri leads the smartphone voice assistant market with 44% of users in the United States.

(Voicebot)

Siri has been around since 2011, while Samsung’s Bixby was released in April of 2017. Siri stats show that the Apple voice assistant leads the market with 44%, followed by the Google Assistant that accounts for 30% and the Amazon Alexa with 17%. Microsoft’s Cortana shares 4% with Samsung’s Bixby. Both Apple and Google have their voice assistants preinstalled on iOS and Android devices, respectively, so it’s not surprising that the two are dominating the market.

iPhone security statistics

19. The probability of a random person unlocking your iPhone is 1 in 50 thousand with Touch ID and 1 in a million with Face ID.

(Apple IOS Security Guide)

One reason why people are so loyal to Apple is that the company takes security and privacy very seriously. In 2016, the FBI and NSA reportedly failed unlocking a criminal’s smartphone due to Apple’s advanced encryption features.

According to Apple, those seeking the best possible iPhone safety measures should use the company’s FaceID facial recognition technology. It features Apple’s TrueDepth Camera and advanced neural networks to map out your face, and it is able to adapt to small changes such as a new haircut or beard. The standard fingerprint scanner also gives pretty good odds that a random thief won’t be able to unlock your phone.

20. There are 383 million Apple Pay users worldwide.

(Statista)

Ever since Apple introduced Apple Pay with the iPhone 6, it has steadily been gaining in popularity, especially in the United States. According to Statista’s iPhone app usage statistics, 43% of iPhone users worldwide have activated Apple Pay as of December 2018, which represents a 20% increase since the previous year. In addition to standard payments, Apple also enabled users to send money to each other through the Messaging app in 2017, and Apple Cash allows you to send money to friends and family in the United States. Apple has recently announced its Apple Card as well, with bonuses and rewards geared towards Apple-Pay users.

iPhone app statistics

21. There were 8 billion app downloads in Apple’s App Store in the third quarter of 2019.

(Sensor Tower)

According to SensorTower’s research, iPhone app download statistics are up 5.3% from the third quarter of 2018, which had 7.6 billion downloads on record. Google Play is still the world’s dominant app market with 21.6 billion downloads. This number grew around 11.4% from Q3 of 2018, during which Google’s store recorded 19.4 billion downloads.

22. China was the largest iOS market in the third quarter of 2019 with 2.20 billion downloads in the App Store.

(Sensor Tower)

When it comes to the App Store, iPhone statistics by country show that China and the United States are the dominant markets by quite a large margin. China saw a 6% decline over the same period last year, however figures improved 9% over Q2 of 2019, after three quarters of a slow decline. The United States saw a substantial 16% yearly growth.

Other top five countries also saw an upwards trend with Japan improving 7.1% to 423 million downloads; Great Britain, 7% to 302 million; and Russia 5.7%, to 262 million. China remains firmly at the top when it comes to App Store downloads, though.

23. The games category is the App Store’s biggest.

(Statista)

One of the most interesting facts about iPhones is that games make up the largest and most active part of the App Store. According to Statista, games account for nearly one quarter (24.63%) of all available apps in the App Store. Business apps take second place with 9.76%, followed by education-related ones with 8.52%, and lifestyle apps with 8.33%. Despite iPhone statistics on the usage of popular streaming platforms, such as YouTube and Netflix, the entertainment category accounts for only 5.99% of total apps available in the App Store.

24. With nearly 37 million downloads, TikTok was the most-downloaded app in the App Store in the third quarter of 2019.

(Sensor Tower)

The majority of those downloads - around 34 million - came from iPhone devices. TikTok regained the top spot after losing it in Q2 to Youtube. Instagram, in third place, was also well-above 30 million downloads, and is followed by WhatsApp and Google Maps. The two apps had practically identical numbers at around 27 million downloads. It’s worth noting that WhatsApp racked up those statistics on iPhone devices only, while a percentage of Google Maps downloads came from iPads as well.

25. With 34 million downloads, Mario Kart Tour was the most-downloaded game in the App Store in the third quarter of 2019.

(Sensor Tower)

What is even more impressive is that the game reached the number within just six days of hitting the market, becoming Nintendo’s fastest mobile launch in history. FunRace 3D was much less popular than on Android - where it reached nearly 100 million downloads during the same period. It took second place with just over 25 million downloads. The iPhone user base also liked Aquapark.io and Jelly Shift, which were downloaded 25 and 20 million times, respectively. PUBG Mobile was another game that fared way better on Android, with 80 million downloads on Google’s platform compared to just under 15 million in Apple’s App Store.

26. Earning almost $2.17 million in daily revenue, Fortnite was the top grossing mobile game in the App Store in the United States in October 2019.

(Statista)

Fortnite is currently the hottest iPhone gaming app, generating a daily revenue of approximately $2 million, according to Statista’s iPhone app revenue statistics. It climbed to the top of the charts since its launch in October, leaving Candy Crush Saga in second place with $1.67 million in daily revenue. Roblox was third in October of 2019 with $1.28 million, followed by Homescapes with $879 thousand and Toon Blast with $754 thousand in daily revenue over the same time period. Fortnite Mobile is currently the hottest multiplayer game in the world across all platforms.

27. With over 220 million downloads, Google was the most popular publisher in the App Store in the third quarter of 2019.

(Sensor Tower)

Google almost caught up to Facebook in the overall rankings, with both publishers reaching nearly 700 million downloads across both the App Store and Google Store. Google also won across all platforms in the United States, ahead of Voodoo, SayGames and Facebook.