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How Many iPhones Are Active Worldwide? iPhone Usage Stats 

When it comes to buying a new smartphone, the Apple iPhone is an option that’s bound to come up. With its unique operating system, high-quality design, and an array of innovative features, the iPhone is one of the most popular smartphones globally. But how many iPhones are actually active worldwide?

As of 2022, Apple has sold over 2.2 billion iPhones, more than 1.2 billion of which are active. The iPhone is the third most popular smartphone brand, after Samsung and Huawei. The largest number of iPhone users is in China, but Singapore and the US have the highest percentage of users nationwide.

Let’s take a closer look at these iPhone stats and some other fascinating information, including the number of users, iPhone user demographics, and other stats that show the extent of the iPhone’s popularity around the world.

How Many iPhones Are There in the World?

Group of young people with mobile phones

With the release of the iPhone 14 series in September 2022, there are now a total of 35 generations of iPhones since the first model was released back in 2007.

While iPhones are generally more expensive than most other smartphones, their quality design and time-tested operating systems have made it one of the most popular smartphone brands worldwide. 

And, despite the pricing, the number of iPhone users has continued to grow rapidly in recent decades — from only 11 million users in 2008 to over a billion users in 2022. 

To get a better idea of the iPhone’s growth in numbers, let’s look at the total number of iPhones currently in use, the iPhone’s recent growth rate, and iPhone usage stats in different regions. 

iPhone Current Market Share and Growth Rate  

  • Apple’s iPhone has the third largest market share in terms of sales, only behind Samsung and Huawei. 
  • In terms of usage, the iPhone has almost a quarter of the total smartphone market share, which makes it the world’s most popular smartphone. 
  • The  number of global iPhone users has more than doubled in recent years, from 569 million in 2015 to over 1.2 billion in 2022. This is the largest growth for any smartphone brand. 
  • Apple is valued at over $1 trillion in 2022 and its stock value has increased by more than 15,000% since 2001. 
  • The total number of iPhones sold by 2018 is estimated to be around 2.2 billion, of which 1.2 billion are still active. However, Apple stopped publishing iPhone sales data after 2018. 

iPhone User Stats 

iPhones are popular in countries worldwide, but they’re especially popular in certain regions. These iPhone user stats give you an idea of the demographics of iPhone users: 

  • The iPhone is most popular in the US, with over 65% of the total smartphone market share. 
  • In 2020, iPhones had 13% of the total smartphone market share in terms of shipment volume. 
  • While the US has the highest percentage of iPhone users, China had the highest number of iPhone users at 228 million in 2017. In comparison, the US had 120 million iPhone users in the same period. 
  • The 5 countries that use the most iPhones are China, USA, Brazil, Canada, and India. Japan, Australia, the UK, and Germany also have a very large number of iPhone users. 
  • Studies show that the age distribution of iPhone users is fairly balanced, although younger people are more likely to get the latest models. 
  • Most iPhone users are professionals or business people while Android phones are more likely to be used by people with more tech knowledge. 

Best-Selling iPhone Models

iPhone 12 Mini on its box set on a marble coffee table with a blue rug in the background

In 2021, iPhones were the top 5 most popular smartphones with the iPhone 12 series being the most widely sold. Here are some stats that highlight the best selling iPhones of all time: 

  • The iPhone 12 (on Amazon) is the best selling iPhone model and represented 6% of the total smartphone market share by January 2021. 
  • The iPhone 12 took only seven months from its release data to sell over 100 million units. 
  • The iPhone 12 series represented around 15% of the total smartphone market share in 2021. This was the iPhone’s best performing series. 
  • In terms of sales, the top 5 iPhones of all time are the iPhone 12, iPhone 6 S, iPhone 5,  iPhone 5 S and iPhone 6. 
  • In 2022, the iPhone 13 (on Amazon) was the best performing iPhone with 5.5% of the global smartphone market share. 

Percentage of iPhone Users in the World 

Since 2010, the percentage of iPhone users worldwide has been between a fifth and a quarter of global smartphone users. Going back to its earlier days, this number has been fairly consistent; the iPhone market share was at 19.2% of the total smartphone users in the US. 

These stats show the number of iPhone users from a global perspective: 

The US 

  • The US has the highest percentage of iPhone users with 45% of the smartphone users owning an iPhone. This translates to almost a third of the entire US population. 
  • The iOS operating system is the most popular smartphone system in the US, slightly ahead of Android. 
  • The iPhone market share in the US almost doubled from 33% in the beginning of 2016 to 65% at the end of 2020. 
  • The iPhone has consistently gained market share in the US with most early adopters of new models being American. 

China 

  • China has the highest number of iPhone users worldwide, even though the iPhone only comprised 19.3% of the smartphone market there in 2020. 
  • iPhone sales are slightly more volatile in China, with sales increasing and decreasing erratically. 
  • By the start of 2022, iPhone overtook Huawei as the top selling smartphone in China, with almost 23% of the Chinese smartphone market. 
  • The iPhone 13 is the most popular smartphone in China with almost 7% of the total market share. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is the second most popular smartphone. 
  • The high number of iPhone sales in China is often attributed to the iPhone being seen as a status symbol as well as the Chinese love for new gadgets. 

The UK

  • By August of 2022, the iPhone had a 48.8% share of the UK’s smartphone market. This was down from 54.94% in October 2021. 
  • Despite the recent drop in sales, the iPhone is still the most popular smartphone in the UK. 
  • The iPhone 13 is the most popular smartphone in the UK with 18% of the total market share. 
  • The iPhone 13 Pro is the second most popular iPhone with 13% of the total market share. 

Other Countries 

  • While iPhones are more popular in the US and a few other countries, Android devices still account for the majority of smartphone sales worldwide. 
  • In 2021, Apple ranked second as the most popular smartphone brand with 16% of the global smartphone market share. Samsung ranked first at 21%. 
  • By 2022, iOS smartphones accounted for almost 28% of all active smartphones worldwide. 

Which Country Uses iPhone the Most?

According to recent data, China has the largest number of iPhone users while Singapore has the highest percentage of iPhone users. When looking at how popular a smartphone brand is, it’s much better to look at the percentage of smartphone users who use the brand as opposed to the total number of users. 

When ranked by popularity, the top 5 countries where the iPhone is the most popular are: 

  1. Singapore (70%) 
  2. The US (65%) 
  3. Japan (60%) 
  4. Australia  (55.86%) 
  5. Canada (57%) 

General data indicates that English speaking countries generally have a larger percentage of iPhone users, with a few exceptions. The percentage of iPhone users in any country can also be correlated with the per capita income and other lifestyle factors.