The best-selling iPhone of 2019 might surprise you (2024)

The best-selling smartphone in 2019 was an affordable Apple phone that launched in Oct. 2018: The $749 iPhone XR.

This is according to research company Omdia (via 9to5Mac), which claims that the iPhone XR "easily" outshipped all other phones in 2019, with 46.3 million units shipped. The second most-popular phone in 2019 was Apple's iPhone 11, with 37.3 million units shipped, Omnia says.

The two iPhones were followed by three of Samsung's mid-tier and entry-level models, Galaxy A10, A50 and A20, respectively.

Interestingly, Apple's overall smartphone shipments were down by 4.6 percent in 2019, but the company's focus on several key models has enabled it to maintain the two positions for "two years running," says Omnia.

“The company’s continued dominance on this front is all the more remarkable when considering that Apple’s price hikes caused overall iPhone shipments to decline last year. By limiting the number of models it offers compared to its top competitors, Apple has been able to concentrate its sales on a few smartphones that have broad appeal, like the iPhone XR," said Jusy Hong, smartphone research and analysis director at Omdia, in a statement.

Omdia's numbers are roughly in line with figures from research company IDC, which pointed to strong sales of the iPhone XR throughout the year, though it didn't share precise numbers for individual models.

The numbers show that Apple's strategy of offering an iPhone that's significantly cheaper and yet has the main characteristics of its top-tier models was successful. In Sept. 2019, Apple reinforced this strategy by placing their most affordable new model, the $699 iPhone 11, at the center of its flagship lineup.

And if recent reports are accurate, Apple will double down on this strategy soon with the launch of a new, affordable phone in March, likely named the iPhone SE 2 or the iPhone 9.