iPhone SE Saved Apple In US Smartphone Market Decline

Everyone is going through rough times this year and that includes businesses trying to project a strong image in the midst of global economic troubles. The mobile sector just keeps on churning out smartphones but even a major market like the US has seen a sharp drop in sales in the second quarter of the year. Unsurprisingly, Apple and Samsung managed to maintain their numbers to some extent and Apple has the unlikely hero that is the iPhone SE for that.

According to Counterpoint Research's data, the US smartphone market saw a steep 25% decline year-over-year in the second quarter of 2020. That's not exactly surprising even as production and supplies have started to ramp up. All companies were affected, though some less than others. iPhone sales, according to the data, were down 23%.

The market analyst, however, implies that things could have been worse for Apple if not for the iPhone SE 2020. That phone alone made up 19% of Apple's sales in the US, nearly a fifth of the total for the quarter. Even Apple was reportedly surprised the by extremely positive reception of the low-cost iPhone. Then again, considering the global situation, having an affordable iPhone that's guaranteed to be supported for years is an enticing proposition and consumers didn't seem to mind the older design or the smaller screen.

Some iPhone fans might not think that the new iPhone SE might spell trouble for the more expensive iPhone 12 coming in a few months. Counterpoint Research suggests it won't be the case as the phones serve very different markets. In fact, the more expensive iPhone 11 series still made up the bulk of Apple's sales the previous quarter ending in June.

The ones that might actually get affected are Android manufacturers, at least based on another set of data. That shows that a larger number of iPhone SE buyers actually moved from an Android device, proving earlier analyses that the cheaper iPhone would become a refuge for Android users jumping ship.