The iPhone 15 might assist Apple clinch a title it is by no means held earlier than

Consumers proceed to carry onto their smartphones for longer, one motive why the Counterpoint workforce expects that general shipments will fall 6% this yr, to 1.15 billion models. That would mark the bottom stage in a decade.

“But we’re watching [the fourth quarter] with interest because the iPhone 15 launch is a window for carriers to steal high-value customers,” Jeff Fieldhack, Counterpoint’s North America analysis director, stated in a launch.

With an enormous base of present iPhone 12 house owners due for upgrades, “promos are going to be aggressive, leaving Apple in a good spot.”

Counterpoint notes that premium smartphones have been selecting up share inside the market and known as out China as a area the place that development holds true. Apple
AAPL,
+0.28%
focuses on the premium market and is anticipated to debut its subsequent lineup of gadgets, the iPhone 15 household, in September, and gross sales possible will start later that month or in early October.

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Projections from Counterpoint put Apple the closest its ever been to capturing the highest spot. “We’re talking about a spread that’s literally a few days’ worth of sales,” Fieldhack stated. “Assuming Apple doesn’t run into production problems like it did last year, it’s really a toss up at this point.”

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd
005930,
-0.60%
was the market chief in shipments final yr, and it held the highest spot within the first quarter of this yr.

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