iPhone 4 and 3GS Continued to Lead U.S. Smartphone Sales in Q3

[MacRumors]

While the sheer number of available Android devices has resulted in the platform surpassing Apple's iOS in popularity, Apple's limited portfolio of devices remained popular even as customers looked forward to updated hardware that arrived last month in the form of the iPhone 4S. According to NPD, the iPhone 4 and 3GS continued to hold the top two positions in U.S. smartphone sales during the third quarter, leading a series of Android phones in the rankings.

Led by continued steady sales for Apple's iPhones, the top five best-selling mobile phone handsets in Q3 were as follows:

1. Apple iPhone 4
2. Apple iPhone 3GS
3. HTC EVO 4G
4. Motorola Droid 3
5. Samsung Intensity II

The ranking follows an identical showing for Apple during the second quarter, despite the iPhone 4 having been introduced in June 2010 and the iPhone 3GS launch dating all the way back to June 2009.

Even with the introduction of the iPhone 4S last month, Apple is continuing to sell the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS as low-end devices, with an 8 GB iPhone 4 being offered for $99 on contract at all three major U.S. iPhone carriers and AT&T offering the 8 GB iPhone 3GS for free on contract.

Article Link: iPhone 4 and 3GS Continued to Lead U.S. Smartphone Sales in Q3

 

[justperry]

Doesn't surprise Me.

 

[riveting]

Still couldn't understand people buying iphone 4 and iphone 3gs as opposed to iphone 4s to save $100 to $200 up front.

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While the sheer number of available Android devices has resulted in the platform surpassing Apple's iOS in popularity, Apple's limited portfolio of devices remained popular even as customers looked forward to updated hardware that arrived last month in the form of the iPhone 4S. According to NPD, the iPhone 4 and 3GS continued to hold the top two positions in U.S. smartphone sales during the third quarter, leading a series of Android phones in the rankings.The ranking follows an identical showing for Apple during the second quarter, despite the iPhone 4 having been introduced in June 2010 and the iPhone 3GS launch dating all the way back to June 2009.

Even with the introduction of the iPhone 4S last month, Apple is continuing to sell the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS as low-end devices, with an 8 GB iPhone 4 being offered for $99 on contract at all three major U.S. iPhone carriers and AT&T offering the 8 GB iPhone 3GS for free on contract.

Article Link: iPhone 4 and 3GS Continued to Lead U.S. Smartphone Sales in Q3

 

[Schtumple]

Still couldn't understand people buying iphone 4 and iphone 3gs as opposed to iphone 4s to save $100 to $200 up front.

I bought the 16gb 4 2 days before the 4S came out because it would've cost me £175 upfront for the 4S, the 4 was free. Not everyone has banks of money specifically for buying the latest and greatest, some people just want a decent phone, not the best.

 

[ftaok]

Still couldn't understand people buying iphone 4 and iphone 3gs as opposed to iphone 4s to save $100 to $200 up front.

Never underestimate the power of "free". Besides, the iPhone4s wasn't available during Q3, which was the quarter this report was based on.

 

[DMVillain]

Still couldn't understand people buying iphone 4 and iphone 3gs as opposed to iphone 4s to save $100 to $200 up front.

I am pretty sure that at this point the 4s wasn't out yet so those were their only (iPhone) options.

 

[nurnim]

In Q4 they will have the 3 top spots. Not really rocket science, that.

I'm really curious to see what the fast 4s roll-out and the free 3GS on contract will do to the actual sales numbers, though. It's going to be a big, big number for the quarter, but I wonder if they can top android sales again with this lineup.

 

[nfl46]

Nice! Figures. The iPhone 3GS is free and the iPhone 4 is $99. People love cheap, and I don't blame them. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if the 3GS surpassed the 4.

 

[JangoFett124]

I bought the 16gb 4 2 days before the 4S came out because it would've cost me £175 upfront for the 4S, the 4 was free. Not everyone has banks of money specifically for buying the latest and greatest, some people just want a decent phone, not the best.

When you're paying anywhere from $80 and up per-month for a phone with a two-year contract, paying a bit more for a superior phone comes out to a few dollars a month and is the smart choice. Most people can't see past the "free phone" to realize the decision they're actually making.

 

[KnightWRX]

I bought the 16gb 4 2 days before the 4S came out because it would've cost me £175 upfront for the 4S, the 4 was free. Not everyone has banks of money specifically for buying the latest and greatest, some people just want a decent phone, not the best.

Yet you have banks of money to pay the monthly fee...

 

[justperry]

I bought the 16gb 4 2 days before the 4S came out because it would've cost me £175 upfront for the 4S, the 4 was free. Not everyone has banks of money specifically for buying the latest and greatest, some people just want a decent phone, not the best.

Its about sales in the US not GB.

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Yet you have banks of money to pay the monthly fee...

Contracts are a lot cheaper in Europe.

 

[ThanksSteve]

The question is: does iPhone have enough of the market share to stop Android from using and winning with the Windows strategy of cheap and in more total products?

Controlling the software and hardware is helping Apple now. Hopefully, it continues to work.

 

[StealthGhost]

I have to think if they combined the Samsung Galaxy S2 sales it would be up there pretty high, especially world wide. Probably 2nd perhapse 3rd.

Anyways, this doesn't really mean *****. You're buying a single phone, or two/three phones now, for an entire platform. If there were the same amount of users on android and there were only two/three android phones they would be dominating.

The better picture is amount of Apple/Android/Blackberry phones. And no, I don't mean better for Android, I mean better for looking at the industry.

 

[840quadra]

I am non-plussed by this news with all of the recent Android phone releases, and the overall delay of a new iPhone by Apple.

Curious (as others have said) to see what Q4 holds.

 

[StealthGhost]

Also people who bought the iPhone 4/3gs only 1-3 months before the iPhone 4s came out are either: uninformed, don't care, stupid/impatient or broke their phone. I don't see this as a good thing for anyone, save Apple's bank account.

The only reason I could see doing this would be if you had 2 lines come up for upgrades and you used one to buy the iPhone 4 and sold it when you bought the iPhone 4s on the other line.

 

[BJMRamage]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Though the 4s is better the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 are still great devices. A friend recently went from his old 3GS to a brand new 3GS. He still loves the phone and saving $100 being unemployed is still worth it. An extra month or two of service.

 

[lilo777]

Given the variety of Android phone models this stat never had much sense. Now with Samsung smart phones outselling iPhone (and even HTC outselling iPhone in U.S.) it's clear that the strategy of having just one model is a failure and is good only for this artificial stat.

 

[mijail]

Also people who bought the iPhone 4/3gs only 1-3 months before the iPhone 4s came out are either: uninformed, don't care, stupid/impatient or broke their phone. I don't see this as a good thing for anyone, save Apple's bank account.

The only reason I could see doing this would be if you had 2 lines come up for upgrades and you used one to buy the iPhone 4 and sold it when you bought the iPhone 4s on the other line.

So, either people buy the latest thingie, or you don't see it as a good thing?
You didn't really even pause to consider other parameters apart from "being the latest thingie"?

 

[KnightWRX]

Contracts are a lot cheaper in Europe.

From my understanding, that's when you bring your own phone. When you buy on subsidy (which the guy I was responding to obviously did with a free iPhone 4), you're still tied for an expensive voice+data contract for a couple of years.

Yet you cheap out of 200$ or so...

 

[akm3]

I thought that with the iPod Touch and iPad, iOS was still the number one platform? This article says the sheer number of android options have passed iOS.

 

[KnightWRX]

Given the variety of Android phone models this stat never had much sense. Now with Samsung smart phones outselling iPhone (and even HTC outselling iPhone in U.S.) it's clear that the strategy of having just one model is a failure and is good only for this artificial stat.

Neither strategy is a failure. If Apple had more models, they'd probably spread the sales and cannibalize some of their own as a result, not sell those new models to only new customers that wouldn't have bought an iPhone otherwise.

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I thought that with the iPod Touch and iPad, iOS was still the number one platform? This article says the sheer number of android options have passed iOS.

This article is about smartphones.

 

[co.ag.2005]

Given the variety of Android phone models this stat never had much sense. Now with Samsung smart phones outselling iPhone (and even HTC outselling iPhone in U.S.) it's clear that the strategy of having just one model is a failure and is good only for this artificial stat.

how is Apple making billions off of a product line a failure?

 

[Spectrum Abuser]

A 3G with a GoPhone plan is a popular option with a lot of people. Buy the 3G off contract for $250-$350 and put it on a pay as you go and suddenly you have an in-expensive monthly bill. As low as $5-$50 a month depending on your usage.

 

[alent1234]

Still couldn't understand people buying iphone 4 and iphone 3gs as opposed to iphone 4s to save $100 to $200 up front.

there are those of us on family plans where a smartphone means an extra $25 a month and the phone bill has to be paid. no point in buying the most expensive if your phone is unused 99% of the day

 

[urbanj]

Man, I couldn't imagine choosing the 3GS unless I didn't know better. My iPhone 4 got stolen last week and I'm up for an upgrade in less than a year. So I'm going to wait for the 5. that means I grabbed a used 3GS to hold me over for the time being.

While an awesome device to use as just a phone, the non retina display, lack of camera flash and battery life is killing me. Surfing the internet is painful when you have to zoom in on every single thing and pictures when out at night are useless. Lets not forget running out of battery easily when out and about for the night For the money people should get the iPhone 4 at the very least.