Apple's iPhone 11 Was the Most-Shipped Smartphone in First Half of 2020

Wednesday September 2, 2020 12:48 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple's iPhone 11 was the most-shipped smartphone in the first half this year and has been the single most popular handset of 2020, according to new research by Omdia.

iphone 11 india
Apple shipped an estimated 37.7 million ‌iPhone‌ 11 units this year, which is 10.8 million more units than last year's top-selling model, the ‌iPhone‌ XR.

A key driver of the success of the ‌iPhone‌ 11 was adjudged to be the lower starting price, which is $50 cheaper than the ‌iPhone‌ XR yet adds significant hardware improvements. The report notes that due to these improvements, ‌iPhone‌ sales have remained strong in 2020, despite the global health crisis.

The second most popular handset of 2020 has been Samsung's Galaxy A51 (11.4 million units shipped), followed by Xiaomi's Redmi Note 8 (11 million units) and Redmi Note 8 Pro (10.2 million units).

Several other ‌iPhone‌ models also make the top 10 ranking, including the 2020 ‌iPhone‌ SE in fifth place (8.7 million units shipped), followed by the ‌iPhone‌ XR (8 million units) and iPhone 11 Pro Max (7.7 million unity). The ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro ranked tenth (6.7 million units).

Shipments of the ‌iPhone 11 Pro Max‌ and ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro models decreased compared to the previous ‌iPhone‌ Xs Max and Xs, but their rankings improved, according to Omdia.

Top 10 most-shipped smartphones in 1H2020 (millions of units)

According Omdia’s smartphone market tracker report, Apple shipped 13% more iPhones in the second quarter this year compare to the previous year thanks to the success of the iPhone 11 and the newly released iPhone SE.

Last year's list featured four Samsung models, whereas this year's featured just one mid-tier model. None of Samsung's flagship devices made the top 10, and were instead replaced by Xiaomi's Redmi's line of devices, doubling the number of Xiaomi models compared to 2019.

Bloomberg yesterday shared several details about new Apple products that are expected later this year, including four new ‌iPhone‌ 12 models with OLED displays, flat-edged designs, and 5G support.

Rumors suggest there will be two sizes of the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro, including one with a 6.1-inch display and another with a 6.7-inch display. The devices are expected to be introduced in October.

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Top Rated Comments

PickUrPoison

65 months ago

Wow, Apple just killing it, selling 3.5 times as many units as the next best seller, even though iPhone 11 is $700+

The SE was available for pre-order on 17 April and available at retail and carriers a week later. So it was being sold for about 2.5 of the 6 month period, and sold 8.7 million.

They’re on track to exceed the 40 million units Kuo said Apple expected for first year SE sales. What a difference a decent size display makes.

Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Unggoy Murderer

65 months ago

The 11 had a lcd screen just above 720p HD, and they smashed every phone on the market easily. ??

The 720p display on the iPhone 11 / Xr is probably the highest quality LCD panel in a smartphone. Turns out most people who buy phones probably don't care about or notice 360 fewer pixel rows.

Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

DinkThifferent

65 months ago

So where are the Galaxy S20 and S20 Ultra?

Whoopsie Daisy Samsung. You can copy everything from Apple, except their success.

One word coronavirus. People were looking to spend as little as possible this year, as many lost their jobs.

That's why Apple sold 38 million $700 iPhones 11

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

ian87w

65 months ago

The 720p display on the iPhone 11 / Xr is probably the highest quality LCD panel in a smartphone. Turns out most people who buy phones probably don't care about or notice 360 fewer pixel rows.

It's the classic megapixel race, where manufacturers were boasting higher number to make it like theirs are better than the others. Today, it's amplified by youtubers/tech journalists who are trying to get views/likes in the echo chamber.

In reality, there are other things in display hardware other than resolution/ppi. There are color accuracy, brightness, consistent backlight for LCD, etc.

Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Unggoy Murderer

65 months ago

In reality, there are other things in display hardware other than resolution/ppi. There are color accuracy, brightness, consistent backlight for LCD, etc.

Yup, basically all of the points that Apple does very well in for both their LCD and OLED panels.

When I got my iPhone X nearly three years ago, I put it next to my friend's Pixel 2 (which also has an OLED panel) and the Pixel 2 couldn't match the iPhone for brightness or colour uniformity. The Pixel 2 also suffered from a blueish tint as the brightness went over 75% or so.

Apple might not be first with the stuff they do, but they generally do a good job when it does come.

Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)