The first quarter of 2019 saw Samsung launch its newest generation of Galaxy S Series flagship smartphones, namely, the Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, and the S10 5G, more models than ever before in Q1. Out of these models, both the S10 and the S10+ did quite well globally as well as in the United States, although the shipments are expected to grow in Q2. The S10+ was the best-selling Samsung flagship device in the US in Q1, although the mid-range Galaxy J7 (2018) and J3 (2018) devices managed to beat it in terms of shipments. Even so, the very top of the bestseller list remained unchanged from the previous quarter – it was Apple with its three latest-generation iPhone models taking the top spots.
The US smartphone market has seen some structural changes during the past year or so, as ZTE has all but disappeared from the market, while both Lenovo-Motorola and TCL-Alcatel have gained in market share. LG is still holding on to its position as the third largest vendor in the country, but it looks challenged going forward, particularly in the high end, unless its new flagship devices can turn the tide. Mid-range LG devices continued to sell quite well in the US. With Samsung having launched the S10 5G in the US with Verizon, the competition appears to be getting tougher.
Interested in the shipments, market share, wholesale pricing, and specs of the top-50 best-selling smartphones in the United States? Clients of our Smartphone Model Tracker (SMT) service can get these, and many other types of data here.
