Apple's Installed Base Hits 150 Million in Q4 Amid a Flattening Trend, Says Report

Citing a flattening of Apple’s U.S. iPhone installed base, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners said Monday that it reached 151 million units for the quarter ended Dec. 30, compared to 149 million at the end of the September 2017 quarter and 128 million units at the end of the December 2016 quarter. The iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X models account for 18 million units, or 12 percent of the installed base; the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are 58 million, or 39 percent; and the 2-year-old iPhone 6s and 6s Plus comprise 43 million, or 28 percent of the installed base, said the research firm. The X, released later than other models, affected sales figures for the quarter, noted analyst Josh Lowitz, saying CIRP expects unit sales and share of total sales to “increase meaningfully in the next two quarters.” CIRP predicts older models will continue “strong sales,” as the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are 39 percent of the installed base, “a high share for a year-old phone." Early last year, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus had 35 percent of the installed base a year after launch, CIRP said. “In a holiday quarter, growth did flatten considerably,” said analyst Mike Levin, citing a continuing trend. He said the iPhone's quarterly growth has averaged 4 percent for the last eight quarters, and while “most companies would be delighted with growth in a loyal customer base at those rates, just a few years ago Apple grew the iPhone installed base considerably faster.”