Overall iOS share of smartphone purchasing in the quarter grew to 38.3%, up from 34.5% in the three months to the end of September 2017.

And the iPhone 8 and 8+ models took 3^rd and 5^th places respectively — after Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and S9+ devices — with shares having peaked in the Q4 2017 period.

The report on smartphone sales has been released by Kantar, and reveals that among consumers who bought the iPhone X, 96% previously owned an Apple device. Thirteen percent of all smartphone purchasing in the Q3 2018 period was made up of older iPhone models (iPhone 7 or earlier), with great deals on handset prices and trade-in schemes driving sales at the lower end.

And the report notes that the iPhone 6 has been particularly successful at acquiring new customers for Apple, while the new flagship XS and XS Max have yet to be fully realised and “so the next quarter will undoubtedly show the higher share that we have become accustomed to seeing for the Q4 period each year”.

The report also reveals that Android share declined from 64.9% in September 2017 to 61.6% in the latest three months, while Samsung’s share of total smartphones held up well, with a modest increase from 34.7% in 2017 to 35% in the latest period.

It also notes that: “Purchasing of the Galaxy S9 series and Note 9 allowed share to grow at the premium end over $900, whilst the Galaxy S8 and A8 devices boosted the mid and high tiers.

“Samsung’s entry price J2 Pro was the No.1 seller for the quarter in the sub $300 price bracket. In addition to a good deal on the handset price, consumers chose this device for its battery life and durability, helping to stave off competition from other Android brands who experienced share growth in the low price tier, namely, C-brands Oppo and Xiaomi and legacy brands Motorola, Nokia and LG.”