According to Counterpoint's latest U.S. smartphone tracking report, sales in the U.S. smartphone market increased by 5% year-on-year in July, mainly driven by Samsung and Motorola. Apple's sales fell due to lower upgrade rates, but a notable bright spot was strong sales of the iPhone 15 Pro.
Jeff Fieldhack, research director, said: "Despite overall shipment declines, unit sales of the high-value, high-margin iPhone 15 Pro grew at a double-digit rate. The mix shift toward Pro models has been an ongoing theme and a focus for us as we enter the September release and earnings season."
A major driver of overall market growth was Samsung, which saw strong sales of its cheap Galaxy A15 5G, accounting for nearly a third of its sales. In addition, its Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6 foldable devices were also released earlier.
Motorola has benefited from prepaid consolidation across brands in the channel, with Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T reducing the number of brands in its portfolio, while top-selling Moto G Play has taken market share from white label and other providers. In addition, device subsidies are very attractive, such as the Razr2024’s $1 down payment promotion, helping OEMs dominate retailers such as Cricket. Aside from the launch of new Pixel phones, promotions have slowed somewhat over the summer. Fieldhack added: “The summer months are typically the weakest, but it’s reassuring to see sales up this year compared to the same period last year. With AI-powered smartphones generating a lot of interest this year, the focus will return to the premium segment as we enter the busy period of the end of the year.”