When Apple introduced the iPhone 14 in 2022, tech publications around the world didn’t hold back their criticism of the smartphone. It was even called the “worst iPhone in history” – not because it was a bad phone but simply because it was almost indistinguishable from the iPhone 13. More accurately, it could be called an iPhone 13.5.
PhoneArena referred to it as the “worst upgrade ever from Apple” and the “worst thing you can buy” if we don’t include discounts/promotions.
However, recently, when Canalys released the list of the top 10 best-selling smartphones of 2023, the “worst iPhone ever” ranked third, just behind its two “siblings”, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Putting aside the jokes, it seems that now Apple has become such an icon that no matter what they release, users will continue to buy iPhones – even when it comes back with a single camera, an LCD screen, etc.
Above all, Apple is the world’s number one smartphone manufacturer. Premium Android devices don’t even have a single entry in the top 10 best-selling models.
Despite Samsung and Google continuously announcing improvements in AI or software support lifecycle, numbers speak louder: the iPhone is the most sought-after premium phone in 2024.
The iPhone 15 is an excellent upgrade, which means you’ll have a high-quality smartphone regardless of the version you choose. But remember, the relatively underwhelming iPhone 14 was still the third best-selling premium phone in the market in 2023. This somewhat indicates the Apple’s intimidating dominance.
Apple, based in Cupertino, holds too much power and influence – that’s for sure. We’ve seen it happen multiple times: Apple makes controversial changes to the iPhone and Android phones eventually follow suit because it’s the trend.
Compared to the iPhone 15, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 lineup had an extra 7 months on the market in 2023. However, the Galaxy S23 devices still couldn’t match the 70-80 million units sold by the iPhone 15. If the Galaxy S phones couldn’t achieve that, it goes without saying that the Pixel phones from Google couldn’t either.
In essence, this year’s iPhone 15 will (at least) achieve the success of its predecessor. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 will struggle to reach the desired sales figures because it’s more expensive now – even though it’s considered the best phone you can buy at the moment, breaking Samsung’s sales records in South Korea.
Some people wonder, what will Apple do with the upcoming iPhone 16? The iPhone 15 was already an impressive upgrade. Therefore, the iPhone 16 is almost certain to be a good product, even if it doesn’t surprise anyone.
Remember, this manufacturer is also dominating the premium laptop, tablet, and even wearables markets (Apple Watch and AirPods). Even the newly released Vision Pro glasses model is selling better than expected, despite its $3,500 price tag.
Source: PhoneArena
