iPhone X the best-selling smartphone in Europe in early 2018

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iPhone X laying down
I wanted a Galaxy S10, but I'm stuck with iPhone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iPhone X remained the best-selling handset in Europe throughout the first quarter of 2018, despite a substantial drop in overall shipments as a result of “smartphone fatigue.” Apple reportedly shipped more than 10 million devices during the three-month period.

Analysts kept telling us iPhone X was a gigantic flop. They warned its $1,000 price tag was driving customers away and that Apple needed to deliver a more affordable smartphone this fall to salvage sales in 2018. They couldn’t have been more wrong.

Apple’s most recent earnings call confirmed iPhone X is a big success so far. It has been the most popular iPhone every week since it went on sale, and it continues to outperform rival smartphones in key markets around the world. That includes Europe.

iPhone X is killing it in Europe

The iPhone X continued to be the best-selling smartphone in Europe during Q1 2018, new data reveals. This is an even more impressive achievement when you consider that there was a sizable drop in overall smartphone sales.

“Smartphone fatigue hit Europe in Q1 2018, as shipments fell 6.3% year on year, the biggest ever drop in a single quarter,” reports Canalys.

”Apple outperformed the market and shipped over 10 million units, but this still represented a 5.4% decline. As a percentage of models shipped, the iPhone X declined slightly from Q4, to around 25%, but it remained comfortably the best-shipping smartphone in the region.”

Expensive handsets are still struggling

High-end handsets are still struggling to compete against more affordable models, however. Some consumers aren’t upgrading at all — they’re holding onto their existing models — but many of those who do are choosing cheaper devices as opposed to pricey flagships.

Apple’s widely beloved brand, which has an incredibly loyal following, is helping it avoid this trend. Others, like Samsung, aren’t quite so lucky. The South Korean company saw its shipments fall 15 percent in Q1 as customers chose handsets from companies like Huawei and Xiaomi instead.

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