CIRP: Most US buyers gets their iPhone from carriers

The majority of US iPhone buyers take their business to carriers and forgo Apple's own stores. Per a report by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), 79% of the people in the States get their iPhone from a carrier - of them 52% go to a store and only 27% do it online.

When you account for a few other channels, it leaves Apple with just 17% direct iPhone sales, of which 11% are in Apple stores. It makes sense - carriers have thousands of brick-and-mortar locations, while Apple has about 300.

Online sales reached a peak at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, with around 50% of total iPhone sales. But since then retail stores have gradually taken back their share.

Source

Reader comments

  • Anonymous

I think you are missing some details as installment plan always cost higher than one time payment.

You will always pay more than the real price when you apply for installments.

  • David

I never buy my phones from carriers or on contract, it’s basically a payment plan and you end up paying way more than the phone costs.