Apple collects half of smartphone revenue

According to the new report published by Counterpoint Research, Apple smartphone revenue in the third quarter was the highest share the company has seen for this period. The company collected half of global smartphone revenue. Additionally, the average sales price of the iPhone broke a record. Therefore, the report reveals Apple's strength on the revenue side of the market.

Apple smartphone revenue ahead of rivals

Samsung ranked second in the income statement. However, the South Korean company received only 19 percent of global smartphone revenue. Xiaomi followed this with 6 percent. Next in the ranking are OPPO with 5 percent and vivo with 4 percent.

That means Apple has achieved a revenue share more than twice that of second-place Samsung. Therefore, Apple smartphone revenue remained well above that of other brands on the list. Moreover, the shares of the other four brands in the top five remained at or below 19 percent individually.

iPhone average selling price is $1,031

According to Counterpoint, the average selling price (ASP) of the iPhone has reached an all-time high of $1,031. This figure means a 19 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Therefore, the main driver of income growth was prices. Because shipments remained almost the same compared to last year.

Counterpoint Research Director Tarun Pathak said that the iPhone 18 Pro series contributed to this increase. Moreover, the series went on sale towards the end of the third quarter. According to Pathak, Apple was the most resilient major brand in the third quarter. That's why Apple smartphone revenue was able to rise without increasing shipments.

Pathak also pointed out Apple's pricing power. The company is able to pass on rising memory costs to consumers with little harm to demand. Additionally, the following factors supported ASP growth:

Higher launch prices on the iPhone 18 Pro series

Basic iPhone 18 not included at launch

Increases for old models in September

According to Pathak, these factors enabled Apple to achieve strong revenue growth in a challenging market. However, the main source of the increase was prices, not the number of devices sold.

Samsung is still ahead in shipment

Although Apple is ahead in terms of revenue, the picture is different in terms of shipments. Samsung maintained its leadership in shipment share. However, the gap with Apple has narrowed slightly.

Samsung accounted for 22 percent of global smartphone shipments, while Apple accounted for 21 percent. So the huge difference in revenue comes down to just one point on the shipping side. For this reason, Apple smartphone revenue is mostly fueled by high-priced devices. The full report is available on Counterpoint Research's website.