• US smartphone sell-through increased 5% YoY in July, boosted by prepaid channel strength.
• Apple’s sales were down 4% YoY on prepaid channel weakness but the iPhone 15 Pro saw a healthy jump on its predecessor.
• Samsung’s sales increased by almost a quarter YoY, driven by strong Galaxy A15 5G sales and a bump from an early foldables launch.
• Motorola increased 42% YoY primarily due to improved performances from the Moto G Play 2024, Moto G 5G 2024 and Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 compared to their 2023 counterparts.

Boston, Fort Collins, Beijing, Hong Kong, London, New Delhi, Seoul, Taipei, Tokyo – August 29, 2024

The US smartphone market’s sales grew 5% YoY in July driven mainly by Samsung and Motorola, according to Counterpoint Research’s latest US Smartphone Channel Share Tracker.

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

Apple’s sales were down plagued by low upgrade rates, but a significant bright spot was strong iPhone 15 Pro sales. Research Director Jeff Fieldhack said, “Although overall sell-through was down, unit sales of the high-value, high-margin iPhone 15 Pro were up in double digits. The changing mix favoring Pro models has been an ongoing theme and something we are focusing on as we head into September announcements and earnings season.”

One of the big drivers for the broader market’s growth was Samsung, which enjoyed strong sales of the affordable Galaxy A15 5G, accounting for nearly one-third of its sales, as well as an early launch of its Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6 foldables.

Motorola is benefitting from prepaid consolidation of brands across channels, with Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T ranging fewer brands in their portfolios and the top-selling Moto G Play taking share from white labels and other vendors. Besides, device subsidies have been very attractive and promotions like the $1 downpayment for the Razr 2024 have helped the OEM dominate in retailers like Cricket.

Promotions have calmed during the summer except for the new Pixel launch. “The summer months are the weakest but good to see growth on last year. With GenAI smartphones sparking a lot of interest this year, the focus will come back around to premium as we move into the busy end of the year,” said Fieldhack.

 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.

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