Is Samsung or iPhone more popular is a very interesting question and the answer depends on what we take as testament for popularity. One thing is certain though, these are the two most popular phones and we will try to answer which one is more popular. Generally, when speaking about popularity we look at the sales figures and decide based on which cell phone is more sold and more used over the years, but it is a bit more complex than that and we will try to present the issue from multiple aspects.
A rivalry that began a decade ago
When Samsung released its first smartphone, back in 2009, Apple’s iPhone was already a well-established brand that built a name for itself and was recognized in the US and beyond. Some people, especially younger ones might be surprised that Samsung was initially Apple’s supplier, they supplied chips and Jobs was very satisfied with the products and their quality.
He was quite furious when he found out that Samsung intended to start producing cell phones, not to mention the fact that the two phones were quite similar in terms of design. Samsung was a large company with a lot of successful high-quality products when it launched the first smartphone. In many ways, Samsung was able to compete with Apple in terms of technology and features, but it seemed that Apple’s marketing department was doing a far better job.
The iPhone was recognized as the most refined smartphone and owning one was a sort of a status symbol. So, in a way the question is Samsung or iPhone more popular had a clear answer back in the early 2010s.
Apple more popular in the US, Samsung globally
Samsung adopted a slightly different approach. Unlike Apple which put all its efforts, energy and resources into the iPhone, Samsung was producing and selling a line of phones, including both high-end, more expensive phones like the Samsung Galaxy, as well as cheaper, more affordable phones. Samsung soon started selling more than Apple, but the iPhone still reigned supreme in terms of popularity.
Still, things began changing as Samsung established itself as the most advanced and most popular Android smartphone. Apple didn’t lose his grip on the American market, but Europe was a different story. Samsung was selling more cell phones globally, but if we look at just the American market, Apple was a lot more successful.
However, something interesting happened during the last quarter of 2019. Namely, Apple outsold Samsung for the first time, selling about 73 million, as opposed to about 70 million sold by Apple.
Soon after, at the beginning of 2020, Samsung released its Galaxy S20 version. This was not directly linked to Apple success in 2019, but it will definitely give Samsung an opportunity to retain some of the lost ground.
All in all, discussing is Samsung or iPhone more popular is a bit tricky, because we don’t have a precise definition of popularity. If we stick to use and sold items, then we can conclude that Samsung is more popular globally, whereas the iPhone is more popular in America.