• Apple leads in US sell-in market share with 39%, Samsung follows with 30%, while LG trails at 13%
• Apple has been the US smartphone market leader since Q3 2017

New York, Boston, New Delhi, Hong Kong, Seoul, London, Beijing, San Diego, Buenos Aires – November 12, 2020

iPhone sales remained strong in Q3 2020 despite the delayed launch of the iPhone 12. While Apple sell-in dropped to 39% share of the market, the continued success of the iPhone 11 series and the iPhone SE 2020 helped Apple maintain its position as the market leader. Samsung witnessed double-digit year-on-year (YoY) growth as the A-series and the premium Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy S20 series devices all performed well against other Android competition.

Commenting on Apple’s performance, Research Director Jeff Fieldhack said, “Quarter-on-quarter, Apple had a good rebound due to strong sales of the iPhone 11 and the iPhone SE 2020 in July and August. These were the last months that many received extra unemployment benefits and stimulus check money, which helped grow sales due to pent up demand. Consumers did delay their iPhone purchase in September, but the demand for iPhones in the first two months of the quarter outweighed this decrease. Q4 will likely see Apple’s sell-in share rise even higher as all iPhone 12 variants will be available for purchase and carriers are already giving customers better deals than last year’s iPhone 11 launch promos.”

Commenting on Samsung and LG, Research Analyst Maurice Klaehne said, “Samsung had one of the biggest YoY increases of any OEM which helped it reach a sell-in market share of 30%. Galaxy A-series devices continued to do well with the Galaxy S20 Plus 5G and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G being the best-selling premium devices for Samsung. The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition, which launched in late September, has been well-received by consumers due to the more affordable $699 price-tag, larger battery capacity, and the 120Hz AMOLED display. By comparison, LG’s market share has remained relatively stable, but we do expect it to gain a small share in Q4 with its lower priced 5G offerings such as the LG Velvet and the K92 5G. The holiday quarter is crucial for many OEMs looking to grow 5G sales and we have already seen some more devices being launched in preparation.”