iPhone SE Helps Apple as Rivals See Smartphone Sales Tumble

The new range of iPhone SE devices

Global smartphone sales fell 20.4% in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the same time last year, according to new research by Gartner. Sales of the iPhone, however, remained almost static. Apple’s success was in no small part prompted by the release of the low-cost iPhone SE.

iPhone SE Means Apple ‘Fared Better’ Than Rivals

In total, Gartner said that 295 million smartphones were sold during the three month period, down from 370 million in the same quarter in 2019. However, for Apple, the picture looked largely unchanged. It sold 38.4 million units in Q2 2020, compared to 38.5 million in Q2 2019. As others struggled, it’s market share increased from 10 percent to 13 percent.

Image of 2020 iPhone se

No surprise, the iPhone SE was a huge part of why Apple did well as its rivals struggled. “Apple’s iPhone sales fared better in the quarter than most smartphone vendors in the market and also grew sales quarter-over-quarter,” commented Annette Zimmermann, research vice president at Gartner. “The improved business environment in China helped Apple achieve growth in the country. In addition, the introduction of the new iPhone SE encouraged users of older phones to upgrade their smartphones.”

Samsung and Huawei top the pile, with around 54 million units sold each. Huawei actually saw a 27.4 percent increase in the second quarter of 2020 to the three months before.

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