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iPhone 6 Plus captured 41% of all US phablet sales; iPhone 6 best-selling iOS device – Kantar data

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Kantar data shows that the iPhone 6 Plus managed to take a 41% share of all US phablet sales for the August to October quarter, despite only being on sale for a little over one of those months and significant supply constraints.

Unsurprisingly, the smaller iPhone 6 also outsold the iPhone 5s in the same period, taking 33% of all iOS device sales against 26% for the 5s, 18% for the 5c and 10% for the 6 Plus. This is line with multiple sources suggesting a 3-to-1 ratio of iPhone 6 vs 6 Plus sales … 

Screen size was of course the key appeal of the 6 Plus, with 58% of buyers citing it as their primary reason for choosing the model, recent data suggesting that the cannibalisation of iPads by larger iPhones is already underway. Overall phablet sales – defined by Kantar as screen sizes of 5.5-inch and up – now make up 10% of the smartphone market, up from just 2% a year ago.

Apple finally appears to be catching up with demand for the 6 Plus, shipping times dropping from 3-4 weeks at launch to 7-10 days last month and 3-5 days as of yesterday.

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Comments

  1. Taste_of_Apple - 9 years ago

    Quality is key here. People will buy more expensive devices if they offer superior experiences.

    • philboogie - 9 years ago

      Indeed. I’d rather have a better product than a better price. I do wonder when iPhone sales will start to plateau, but the latest iPhone so far still outsells all previous models.

    • herb02135go - 9 years ago

      No.
      McDonald’s (and Walmart’s) popularity is proof that people want cheap.

      Some will pay a premium.
      Unfortunately, many Apple customers pay a premium and get old technology. They are getting something new to them but only because they don’t do research or consider other brands that may offer them a better experience for less money.

      • Taste_of_Apple - 9 years ago

        Old technology? Ah you must mean the 64 Bit state of the art A7 and A8 chips, unmatchable Touch ID sensor and superior camera systems that no one – including Samsung – has surpassed. Got me there. Who doesnt like a Big Mac once in a while? And heart disease too.

      • It’s so annoying how people worry about how WE spend OUR money. We know what we’re buying and choose to buy it. Nobody is forcing us to buy an iPhone, yet we get called iSheep or whatever, you guys should just worry about yourselves and your money.

      • herb02135go - 9 years ago

        Julio,
        No one really cares how you spend your money.

        But, collectively, people who buy outdated technology hurt innovation.

        I’m sure many saw the new iPhone and wished it had features that are available elsewhere.
        But, from a business perspective, why spend money on R & D to innovate when millions will buy any new iPhone that you make?

        This discourages innovation.
        I think we all want innovation, not stagnation.

      • standardpull - 9 years ago

        Herb makes an excellent point here. People don’t actually want innovation. They are just looking the other way.

        You’re selling a smartphone with a 6-core CPU with 32 GB of on-die RAM, a 20 Mpixel camera with a 9200 mAH battery? That sounds innovative!

        But people don’t care.

        That is likely why the iPhone is such the clear winner in the market place.

        Apple’s competitors have made the mistake of putting themselves in the position where they can only compete using “spec sheet marketing”. More MUST be better, they reasoned, but they failed to explain how this makes a better device. Samsung miscalculated – and now they are grossly missing their numbers as their customers and sales evaporate.

        Samsung thought “spec sheet marketing” could outsell Apple’s “let’s build what people need and want”. Now they’re trying to off-load their failed Galaxy S5, and are lurching to retool their organization, business model, and product line in hopes that their mobile business can survive.

        In contrast, Apple designs products that people want.

        A car with a 250 hp motor is great. An 800 hp car is no better. But those that own that 800 hp car can’t help but gloat. It’s all they have.

      • herb02135go - 9 years ago

        One:
        I’m criticizing people who don’t think for themselves because they stifle innovation, which hurts all of us.

        I’m criticizing people who blast Samsung and other companies not named Apple when they have not used anything but Apple.

        I have used Apple products. There are much better products out there. Unfortunately, the sheep reward stale ideas copied from others.

      • This will tell you everything you need to know about why Apple customers pay a premium and why other companies struggle even though they might have some better specs.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GMQhOm-Dqo&feature=youtu.be

        standardpull nailed it with his comment


        Apple’s competitors have made the mistake of putting themselves in the position where they can only compete using “spec sheet marketing”. More MUST be better, they reasoned, but they failed to explain how this makes a better device. Samsung miscalculated – and now they are grossly missing their numbers as their customers and sales evaporate.

        Samsung thought “spec sheet marketing” could outsell Apple’s “let’s build what people need and want”. Now they’re trying to off-load their failed Galaxy S5, and are lurching to retool their organization, business model, and product line in hopes that their mobile business can survive.

        In contrast, Apple designs products that people want.

        A car with a 250 hp motor is great. An 800 hp car is no better. But those that own that 800 hp car can’t help but gloat. It’s all they have.”

      • rsmurf - 9 years ago

        I started to respond then i thought…… oh crap this guy ha no clue so he wouldn’t understand.

      • Fallenjt JT - 9 years ago

        I used Galaxy S5 and I’m qualified to say it’s a pos. Finger Print scanner work 1 out of 10 times…oh yeah, you have to use finger from the other hand. That’s what you called “innovation”? Screen response sucks too. I just couldn’t stand it after a month. This is what I don’t get: Who the F have time to go and tweak the craps out of the phone? Most features should be there ready to use. I just don’t fking get the TouchWiz either. This is the reason why most of Android phone features are rather gimmicks than innovations. That’s why I moved back to iPhone. It meets my needs with its functions. For anything else, there’s an app for it.

      • xmattperkinsx - 9 years ago

        Old Technology? So is new technology meaning more malware and less security? Because last I checked Android made up 97% of all mobile malware. Damn I’m so jealous of that malware issue, I wish I had to fear about getting malware.

      • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 9 years ago

        Apple has the most advanced 64 Bit processors currently used in Smartphones, so what are you talking about “old technology”? Apple also implemented mobile pay with NFC far better than anyone else. They also have better Fingerprint technology. No noe really needs or is going to use 4K video on a small screen for a while. Apple’s stabilization is better than the others that I’ve seen.

      • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 9 years ago

        All of the people that I know that have Android’s hate em, the only reason they bought them was the model they had was cheaper or they had larger screens before Apple. Yeah, I’ll admit Apple waited until their 2nd gen 64 Bit ARM processors were ready and they had to increase their production capacity before they could enter the larger screen market, but they are easier to use and they don’t bloat it with a lot of gimmick features, and they do spend more time on making them less susceptible to malware attacks. I think Apple was waiting for their Swift and Metal programming as being more important than just adding a bunch of features that people don’t really use.

        The problem I have with Android is they have less consistency, they don’t update the OS very well and they only support OS updates for up to 2 years vs Apple’s 4 years and I just simply feel that in order to get involved with Android, it’s a full time job just to figure out what to buy and learning how to use. I spend most of my time on my desktop and very little time with a smartphone. But the iPhone does what I need it to do and if I ever need to talk to the company that makes any product I use, I only have to deal with one company that’s the actual mfg. But so far, my iPhones have been pretty much trouble free.

      • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 9 years ago

        McDonalds and Walmart as a comparison isn’t a good comparison. I think a fairer comparison is this. I equate Apple to more like a Mercedes Benz. Apple, like Mercedes, isn’t going after market share. They go after a more upscale crowd that is willing to pay a little more for their products. Android is like a combination of the Chevy’s and Fords, and Kias, Toyotas, etc. where they have a large breadth of price categories. There are still these cheap $60 ZTE and other brand phones which are old Gingerbread phones that will never get updated with the latest OS. If you look at the market share of Android, it’s STILL mostly several year old OSs on outdated hardware. Apple will never sell product without having the latest OS installed on it, where as Android mfg will and do. Apple is NOT chasing market share, they go after the market segment that fits into Apple’s idea of where they need to be in order to make healthy profits. Apple doesn’t want to play the spec game because they design with more efficiency. They have different ARM core designs which don’t require higher clock speed and higher number of cores to get better bench marks. They were more focused on transitioning to 64 Bit, for which they are at least a year or two ahead of Android/Windows phones, but more importantly, they will drop support for 32Bit much sooner, whereas Android/Windows phones will have to support 32 Bit a lot longer because they go after the less expensive (sub $400) market for which Apple doesn’t currently go after. Apple also simply doesn’t have the production capacity to go after market share, they are more on a planned growth rate. As far as features. I think Apple focuses on what they think would work and is more useful. They never liked just adding a bunch of features as quickly as possible, because features bloat the OS and a lot of these features simply put too much tax on h/w resources.

        yeah, some of the Android products make great demos, but when you use them in the real world, they aren’t necessarily that great. I’ve talked to plenty of people that went from iPhone to Android and then back to iPhone and they essentially gave the same reasons. Ease of use, they get OS updates much faster, and there are less gimmicks as the top reasons.

    • OneOkami (@OneOkami) - 9 years ago

      @JulioMontes, What you’re experiencing is proof that some people simply envy others who are happily nonconforming to their own views and preferences. As you can see, some can’t cope with their own discontent to the point they feel the need to impose on others rather their respect their differences.

      • herb02135go - 9 years ago

        I hope you’re not using the word nonconforming in any reference to Apple.

        And I hope you aren’t considering a disagreement on a little-known website’s comment section as an imposition.

        If so, you should ask Santa for a dictionary.

      • OneOkami (@OneOkami) - 9 years ago

        herb, I’m using the word nonconforming in reference to your tired crusade here on an Apple site criticizing people for preferring Apple products while championing others.

        Your history here on this “little-known” website speaks loud and clear what I’m considering an imposition. I’m sure plenty of people here see it and know exactly what I’m talking about.

    • Nycko Heimberg - 9 years ago

      It is easy…
      Galaxy Note 4, not out ewerywhere.
      No Galaxy S5, not Xperia Zx because less than 5.5″.
      There is a LG G3 and Nexus 6 ?
      Xperia T3 not Sale, Xperia T2 Ultra Not Sale…..

    • xmattperkinsx:

      I don’t use android, but they are inherently safe. If someone downloads an app from a dubious site that’s their own fault. That’s not Google’s fault. To say it is would be like saying that those celebrity nude leaks where the fault of Apple, when in reality it was the fault of the celeb for falling for a phishing scam.

      • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 9 years ago

        To be a little more accurate with the celebrity nude photo leaks, they simply had crappy or no password protection that could be easily phished. I think some of them used passwords like “admin”, “password”, “1234”, and passwords based on information about them that’s easily obtainable and things like that instead of really good passwords. Plus it wouldn’t surprise me if some of the celebrities had “friends” that were able to figure out their passwords easily. Most celebrities in the entertainment industry aren’t all that bright when it comes to technology and since a lot of them frequently go to parties and get drunk/stoned, etc. they might not realize how many people are looking at them when they type in their password. if they are dumb enough to store nude photos on their cloud accounts, they are dumb enough to have their passwords hacked. Word to the wise, don’t post photos you don’t want being published in the newspaper and sent out through the internet because there is such a risk of being hacked regardless of the security measures in place. Password phishing can happen to anyone at anytime on any platform.

  2. Rikki Robertson-Brown - 9 years ago

    Now there is a turn up, I am so glad we have all these analysts advising us….

  3. jimgramze - 9 years ago

    I love my iPhone 6+ and I love my iPad Air. I did take the time to attempt to replace the Air with the 6+ completely. I’m sorry, but the experience just is not there for doing certain things. Certainly the 6+ excels where my old iPhone 5 was subpar, but the 6+ does not beat out the iPad Air for certain use cases although I could force myself to make do.

    The iPhone 6+ is, for me, vastly superior to the iPad Air as a book reader. The 6+ does Apple Pay wonderfully and does everything iPhone centric better than my old 5. Some games are better on the 6+ as well.

    My iPad Air offers far superior usage when reading comic books and playing certain games. It is also better for accessing the web although the 6+ does reasonably well there where the iPhone 5 frequently was not good enough.

    I don’t see the iPhone 6+ killing the iPad, but it certainly might be good enough for some to just go with Apple’s phablet. What I can get by with and what is optimal are not at all the same thing. Yes I can do Garage Band with the iPhone 6+, bit it is far superior with the iPad Air and the feature set on the iPad is much richer with Garage band and easier to use and manipulate as size matters when trying to manipulate certain things.

    The iPhone 6+ will indeed cannibalize the iPad some and maybe the iPad Mini a lot, but for those who can afford both and want to optimize certain use cases, I don’t think it will.

  4. Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 9 years ago

    I’m sick of looking at Sept numbers. Can you please wait until the December quarter numbers are posted. Thanks!

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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