Apple's XR Is Highest-Selling IPhone Model Since 6 Series, Says CIRP

The iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR models generated 67 percent of U.S. iPhone sales in Apple’s June quarter, said Consumer Intelligence Research Partners Monday. The lowest-priced model of the trio, the XR, had 48 percent of U.S. iPhone sales in the quarter, the highest CIRP has seen for an individual Apple phone model since the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in 2015, it said. With the XR, Apple set out to create a price-competitive model to take on Android phones, offering a large screen on a midsize handset, said analyst Josh Lowitz: “It is easy to choose the mid-point between the expensive XS and XS Max models, and the older 7 and 8 models.” Services penetration among iPhone buyers has had varied success according to time in market, CIRP said: 47 percent pay for iCloud storage, 3-6 percent bought an AppleCare warranty, 35 percent use Apple Music and 15-29 percent use Apple TV, Apple Podcasts and Apple News, it said. Apple had a head start on competitors with a podcast app, giving it the highest penetration for iPhone buyers, but Apple TV has lower penetration due to competition against Netflix and other streaming video services. Apple competes against Best Buy for extended warranties, where it has lower penetration, said analyst Mike Levin. After Apple discontinued iTunes, Apple Music became its unified music service, but its 35 percent share trails Spotify and Pandora, Levin said. Findings were based on an April-June survey of 500 U.S. Apple customers that bought an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Watch.