The Billionth iPhone Sold!

Goal: 1 million. Achievement: 1 billion.

Right on time! We’d written back in April 2016, in our article “Another Apple Billion, This One’s Extra Special” that Apple was expected to hit the 1 billion mark in iPhone sales, by July 2016. Guess what? Apple was spot on!

While official word of Apple’s incredible milestone came to light via a press release, but in typical Apple fashion, employees heard of it first.

An employee meeting held at Apple last week, witnessed CEO Tim Cook make the following statement as he held in his hand the billionth iPhone sold in all its glory, “iPhone has become one of the most important, world-changing and successful products in history. It’s become more than a constant companion. iPhone is truly an essential part of our daily life and enables much of what we do throughout the day. Last week we passed another major milestone when we sold the billionth iPhone. We never set out to make the most, but we’ve always set out to make the best products that make a difference. Thank you to everyone at Apple for helping change the world every day”.

While Apple witnessed its first year-over-year drop in the overall sales of iPhone over the last quarter, however that in no way diminished the tech giant’s mind-bending achievement of selling its one-billionth iPhone last week.
Reaching the mark of billion iPhones is not a child’s play; it is an exceptional feat in itself and is commendable.

The primary reason for decline of iPhone sales and revenue during the third quarter could be attributed to the anticipated introduction of Apple’s next-generation iPhone this fall (which is normal by-product of this anticipation).

The device, which might be called iPhone 7 if the naming system of Apple is to be followed or iPhone 6SE if rumors are to be believed, is rumoured to have an upgraded camera system on board, new storage tiers, the elimination of the 3.5mm headphone jack, and much more, in a package that holds resemblance to the current iPhone 6/iPhone 6s in terms of its physical design.

Back to the milestone — the billionth iPhone was sold about only two years after Apple sold its 500 millionth iPhone. That’s impressive. If any product takes 7 years to see the first half of the billion, and only two years to push out the next half, that’s more than impressive… it’s practically unheard of! Slowdown is a relative term then, huh?

The statistics are expected to soar once again, post the launch of their new additions in 2016. The downside is the that the company’s next device is rumoured to get relatively minor design changes compared to the iPhone 6S, with a more sweeping renovation due in 2017 corresponding with the iPhone’s 10th anniversary.

Let’s take a moment to go a little back in time. Back in 2007 when Steve Jobs first introduced then iPhone, the Apple co-founder set a rather modest goal of selling 1 million units. Then, 1 million in unit sales meant 1% of the global smartphone market approximately. Apple managed to achieve the target with ease and it also became evident that the iPhone was Apple’s revolutionary smartphone with the potential to change the way users interact with technology.

And the world changed — technology, apps, accessories, music, education — everything tilted in a new, next-generation direction. And it continues to change, thanks to this one device and what it taught the world (and manufacturers), and how it enabled humanity.

During a call with investors, Tim Cook emphasized upon a ‘very successful’ launch of the iPhone SE, remarking about its popularity in both developed and emerging markets, especially among people who bought an iPhone for the first-time.

And it’s not only sales that make the iPhone such an important product. Cook quoted a Kantar survey, which said iPhone purchasers in the US had a 95% loyalty rate, “the highest ever measured for any smartphone”.

Tim Cook sees India as a promising market, pointing out that the iPhone sales in the country were up 50% on year. Apple had also witnessed great numbers in terms of sales in Japan, Turkey, and Russia during the third quarter.

Tellingly, Apple has witnessed a record number of Android switchers (people moving from Android OS to iOS) in recent months, which’ve added to their number. And India may further Apple’s cause once they arrive on Indian shores in full-form.

Originally published at Chip-Monks.