iPhone 11 overtakes iPhone XR as the world’s most popular smartphone

The iPhone 11 has now crowned itself as the "world's most popular smartphone" after being on the market for about nine months.

Reported by 9to5Mac, the iPhone 11 has now overtaken the iPhone XR as the highest-selling smartphone in the world. A new report from research firm Omdia indicates that Apple shipped 19.5 million units of the iPhone 11 in Q1 of 2020, whereas the iPhone XR only shipped 4.7 million units.

The Galaxy A51 from Samsung came in second with 6.8 million units and the Redmi Note 8 from Xiaomi came in third with 6.6 million units shipped.

The success of the iPhone 11, according to Omdia, is attributed to its dual-lens and lower price point when compared to the iPhone XR when it was first launched.

"At launch, the iPhone 11 was priced $50 less than its predecessor, the iPhone XR. However, despite the lower price, the iPhone 11 features a dual-camera setup that represents a major upgrade compared to the single-lens configuration for the iPhone. This enhancement has been extremely appealing to consumers, driving the increase in sales."

The report notes that three of Apple's newer models (iPhone XR, iPhone 11, and iPhone 11 Pro) have all taken place in the top ten of smartphone sales for Q1 of 2020. This is reportedly a first for the company.

"This represents a major improvement in company performance since the first quarter of last year when the iPhone XS and XS Max did not rank among the top-10 models. The iPhone XR was the only new model to appear in the top-10 at the time. This year, however, all three newly released models made the Top 10."

Jusy Hong, director of smartphone research at Omdia, says that Apple's focus on a few products, rather than other companies that release many models, has driven its success in the smartphone market.

"For more than five years — even amid shifting conditions in the wireless market and the global economy — one thing has remained consistent in the smartphone business: Apple has taken either the first or second rank in Omdia's global model shipment ranking ... Apple's success is the result of its strategy to offer relatively few models. This has allowed the company to focus its efforts on a small number of products that appeal to a broad selection of consumers and sell in extremely high volumes."