iPhone’s activation market share has dipped to the lowest in the last six years in the U.S., which is a concerning sign, as per a recent report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP). It also means that if the iPhone is losing, its rival Android might be enjoying its piece of the pie with nearly two-thirds of the overall activation market share in the U.S.
CIRP notes that iPhones now make up only about a third of new phones activated in the U.S., compared to last year’s report that compromised of iPhones having a 40% activation market share. Such a decline brings iPhone activations back to a level not seen since 2017, and that’s hitting rock bottom.
“Six years ago, Apple iPhone captured a similar share of activations,” mentions the latest CIRP report. “Then, operating systems beyond iOS and Android, including Blackberry and even some Windows phones controlled a portion of the smartphone market,” it adds.
As to why iPhone activation share could be dipping low, the report explains that the quality improvement of iPhones in recent years, coupled with a lack of major new features, has contributed to this decline in activations. On top of that, the availability of transparent purchase plans may have motivated smartphone owners to postpone upgrades, which may have affected iPhones more than Android devices.
That said, the drop in iPhone activations also shows that people might not be rushing to buy new iPhones like before, and instead looking for Android alternatives with more features, especially those introduced with the Pixel 8 series, or Samsung Galaxy S24 series.