Federica Laricchia
Research expert covering the global consumer technology industry
iPhone - statistics & facts
The year 2007 witnessed a proper revolution in the mobile phone market, when Apple released the first iPhone, a smartphone with innovative features such as touchscreen interfaces and virtual keyboards. The iPhone radically changed our perception and usage of mobile devices and became a lifestyle product that is difficult to give up, even after its 15 released models. Furthermore, the iPhone is the center of the American tech giant's best product, its ecosystem, where it can seamlessly connect to Apple's PCs, speakers, and TVs.
Similar dynamics shape the global smartphone operating system market. Particularly, iOS by Apple and Android by Google are the most popular operating systems. However, while only iPhones can run on iOS, Android is compatible with many other smartphone brands, such as Google, Samsung, and Xiaomi - a feature that makes Android the smartphone OS market leader by far.
As technology progresses, smartphone manufacturers need to keep up with the times and strive for innovation. Apple and iPhone will also need to continue doing so to retain their reputation and position in the global consumer electronics and smartphone industries.
iPhone is Apple’s most successful product
Much of the iPhone’s success can be attributed to Apple’s ability to keep the product competitive throughout the years with new releases and updates. iPhone sales jumped from around 40 million units in 2010 to roughly 232 million units in 2023. In Apple’s 2023 financial year, iPhone sales brought in revenues of over 200 billion U.S. dollars. As sales increased, the iPhone's importance to the company's success increased as well – the iPhone has become Apple’s most successful product and shapes Apple’s business in fundamental ways. However, as other segments and services gained popularity, examples of which are the Apple Watch and the Apple App Store, the iPhone’s share of the company’s total revenue slightly declined compared to a decade earlier, reaching around half of the overall revenue in the company’s 2023 fiscal year.Clash among consumer electronics titans: Apple vs. Samsung
Back in 2007, Apple’s iPhone mostly drove the growth of the smartphone market, pushing competitors to develop new products and operating systems to respond to new market demands. Today, the smartphone market includes numerous players from around the globe, but the leading position is mainly disputed between Apple and Samsung. In 2023, for the first time ever, Apple surpassed Samsung in terms of smartphone shipments, occupying just above 20 percent of the global smartphone market share.Similar dynamics shape the global smartphone operating system market. Particularly, iOS by Apple and Android by Google are the most popular operating systems. However, while only iPhones can run on iOS, Android is compatible with many other smartphone brands, such as Google, Samsung, and Xiaomi - a feature that makes Android the smartphone OS market leader by far.
As technology progresses, smartphone manufacturers need to keep up with the times and strive for innovation. Apple and iPhone will also need to continue doing so to retain their reputation and position in the global consumer electronics and smartphone industries.
