New research indicates that last year Apple left the entire smartphone industry in the dust with its iPhone, shipping more units than any other manufacturer – including Samsung.
The iPhone 6S topped the charts with a total of around 60 million units shipped, followed by the iPhone 7, 7 Plus and the 6S Plus, according to a recent report from intelligence firm IHS Markit. For more context, the research takes into account quarterly shipment data for more than 350 smartphone models.
In fact, Apple had such a massive lead over fellow competitors that the first non-iPhone entry in the report – Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge – comes at number five. In addition to Apple and Samsung, the only other phonemaker to make it into the top 10 was Oppo. Here’s a look at the data provided by IHS Markit:
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While Samsung had five handsets in the top 10, it still proved incapable of topping Apple at overall units shipped. Interestingly, IHS remarks that Huawei – the third largest smartphone maker – didn’t even have a single entry in the top 10.
As MacRumors remarks, it’s worth noting that the figures quoted in the research are estimates, “and that shipments do not necessarily reflect sales.”
Still, given that earlier reports suggested that last year Apple clinched an all-time high market share with its iPhone sales, IHS Markit’s findings hardly come as a surprise.
And judging by more recent research, the trend will continue this year too.
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