iPhone XR is Apple’s biggest lure for Android lovers

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iPhone XR sales in its first month were as about as strong as those of previous Apple bandsets right after their launches.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone XR got off to a fairly strong start. In November, this just-launched model made up 30 percent of Apple’s U.S. sales, slightly higher than the iPhone X in Nov. 2017.

But the standout aspect of the XR’s launch is this new model drew in a higher percentage of Android fans than any Apple device in years.

Of those who bought an iPhone last month, 16 percent were upgrading from Android. Compare that to the first month the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus were on the market when just 12 percent switched from Google’s rival operating system. 

“It appears that iPhone XR did serve to attract current Android users,”, said Mike Levin from the market-research firm CIRP. “Of course, Apple doesn’t just state plainly its launch strategy. But, based on the pricing and features, we can infer that Apple positioned the iPhone XR to appeal to potential operating systems switchers from Android.”

iPhone XR vs. earlier iOS handsets

Some analysts have concerns that the 2018 iPhone models have sold poorly. Not according to CIRP’s findings. “Based on the initial sales, iPhone XR took the same share of iPhone sales as earlier models in their first month on the market,” said Josh Lowitz, another analyst from CIRP.

As mentioned, the XR made up 30 percent of U.S. iPhone sales in November. That makes it Apple’s best-selling model in the U.S. It’s almost equal to the combined total of the XS and XS Max, who garnered 35 percent of U.S. iPhone sales in that same month.

in September 2017, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus together accounted for 39 percent of Apple’s U.S. sales.

CIRP bases its findings on its survey of 165 US Apple customers that purchased an iPhone in the U.S. in the 30 days following the launch of iPhone XR

Source: CIRP

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