The iPhone 15 Pro Max was the most shipped smartphone globally in 1H24, with a total of 21.8 million units according to Omdia's Smartphone Model Market Tracker - 2Q24. This marks the second consecutive year that the iPhone Pro Max series claimed the top spot following the iPhone 14 Pro Max's status as the best-selling phone of 2023.

The popularity of the most expensive iPhone continues to rise even amidst a period of extended high inflation. Despite the expectation that inflation would reduce consumer wages, limiting spending, the reverse is happening with more choosing the premium iPhone Pro Max, priced between $1,199 to $1,599, potentially with plans to keep the phone for a longer period.

The standard iPhone 15 ranks behind the 15 Pro Max as the second most popular phone of 2024 so far, with 17.8 million shipments, while the iPhone 15 Pro holds the fourth spot with 16.9 million. The iPhone 15 Plus, however, is the least popular model of the series, with only 3.7 million placing it 28th globally.

With the latest iPhones launching September 20, this trend is expected to continue, with the iPhone 16 Pro Max likely becoming the most popular model. This is despite the standard 16 and 16 Plus receiving significant upgrades compared to their predecessors. Both models will feature the latest A18 chipset - skipping the A17 chipset altogether, having previously used the A16 – enabling them to power the upcoming 'Apple Intelligence' AI features.

Omdia forecasts that while shipments, which experienced significant growth in the first half of 2024, to decline in the second half of 2024.

Read the full press release here.

Omdia