iPhone had best ever Q3 for Apple, nearly topped Samsung globally per report

Apple will report its official quarterly earnings on October 31, but a new report indicates the company will have a lot to celebrate with its iPhone Q3 sales. Per research firm Canalys, iPhone shipments just had their best Q3 ever, and very nearly beat Samsung for the global sales crown.

Strong iPhone Q3 sales set up even bigger holiday season

Canalys has long been a go-to source for global tech sales. Their latest smartphone report highlights an especially strong Q3 for the iPhone.

“Apple achieved its highest third-quarter volume to date and has never been closer to leading the global smartphone market in a Q3 than now,” highlighted Runar Bjørhovde, Analyst at Canalys. “The ongoing strong demand for the iPhone 15 series, along with Apple’s legacy models, played a crucial role in its Q3 performance. The market’s shift towards premium devices, intersected by an ongoing refresh cycle of devices bought during the pandemic, is benefiting Apple, particularly in its strong-hold regions such as North America and Europe.”

Overall, global smartphone shipments grew 5% year over year. Not every company benefited equally though.

Samsung, the overall leader in smartphone shipments, saw their grip on #1 shrink substantially.

In last year’s Q3, Samsung held a 21% market share to Apple’s 17%.

This year, both companies leveled out to holding 18% market share each, with Samsung maintaining a very slight edge over Apple.

Apple’s success here was largely driven by strong sales of the iPhone 15 and prior devices. However, the iPhone 16’s launch and that of Apple Intelligence soon mean that Apple has a lot of potential to build on its success heading into Q4.

If Apple Intelligence becomes the sales driver that Apple hopes it will, the company should be set up for an especially impressive holiday quarter.

Do you think Apple Intelligence will be a driver of iPhone 16 sales? Let us know in the comments.