• US smartphone sell-in decreased 4% YoY in Q3 due to weak demand in both prepaid and postpaid channels.
• Apple’s shipments were down 2% YoY with weaker sales impacting the OEM during the quarter.
• Samsung’s sell-in decreased 13% YoY, as the Z-series launched in July this year, with initial shipments arriving in June.
• Motorola increased 21% YoY primarily due to improved performances in prepaid from the Moto G Play 2024.
• Google’s shipments increased 20% YoY due to an earlier launch of the Pixel 9 series compared to the Pixel 8 which launched in October.

Boston, Fort Collins, Beijing, Hong Kong, London, New Delhi, Seoul, Taipei, Tokyo – October 31, 2024

The US smartphone market’s sell-in decreased 4% YoY in Q3 2024 driven mainly by Apple and Samsung weakness according to Counterpoint Research’s latest US Market Monitor Quarterly Smartphone Tracker.

US Q3 2024 Smartphone Unit Sell-in Market Share

Source: Counterpoint Research Market Monitor Quarterly Smartphone Tracker.

Note: Numbers may not add to 100% due to rounding.

Apple’s shipments were down primarily due to lower demand resulting from continued low upgrade rates as reported by the three major US carriers in Q3 2024. Research Director Jeff Fieldhack said, “Apple sell-in was muted in Q3, however we did see September sales up 6% as Apple benefitted from an earlier iPhone 16 launch. At launch, we saw many users of older iPhone generations upgrade, helping initial sales. We believe Apple Intelligence will motivate upgraders in the future, but this upgrade period was not a significant driver.”

Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Fold 6 in July this year, which caused shipments to fall into June. This, combined with softer demand for foldabes this year, resulted in the 13% YoY unit decline for Samsung.

Motorola continued to be aggressive – especially within prepaid channels – increasing shipments 21% YoY. According to Counterpoint’s US Channel Share Tracker, Motorola had the top selling smartphone in Cricket in the quarter with the Motorola G Play 2024. The RAZR 2024 also had an earlier launch this year which helped increase shipment volumes compared to last year.

Google Pixel sell-in share grew to 4%, its highest Q3 market share to-date. Maurice Klaehne, Senior Analyst said, “The Pixel 9 series had a staggard launch this year starting at the end of August with the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro XL, followed by the 9 Pro and 9 Pro Fold in the beginning of September. This helped increase shipments in the quarter compared to the October launch of the Pixel 8 series. The Pixel 9 Pro XL cracked the top ten best-selling premium smartphones in the quarter. We expect GenAI smartphones to perform well in Q4 as more software updates for both iOS and Android get released.”

Background

Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the TMT (technology, media, and telecom) industry. It services major technology and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects, and detailed analyses of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are seasoned experts in the high-tech industry.