Despite the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C release date, Apple’s aging iPhone 5 remained the UK’s most popular smartphone offering in September, sales charts have claimed.
With the iPhone 5S release having been plagued by stock shortages and a lack of pre-order availability, the monthly uSwitch mobile sales chart has suggested that despite being superseded, the iPhone 5 retained the crown of the UK’s most popular smartphone for a seventh consecutive month in September.
While Apple could be disappointed in the iPhone 5S failing to replace the iPhone 5 as a chart topper, the Cupertino based company is sure to be pleased by taking controller of five of the top ten chart positions.
With the iPhone 5 holding on to top spot, the ageing, and now cut price iPhone 4S retained second spot in the chart based on sales, pre-orders and live searches. While the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the iPhone 4 traded places to line up in third and fourth places respectively, the iPhone 5S was the month’s highest new entry in fifth.
Although last year’s Samsung Galaxy S3 slumped one position to sixth, the Android powered handset still out performed the new iPhone 5C in seventh.
“The idea behind the iPhone 5C was to allow Apple to target the mid-range market with a new phone – negating the need for mobile fans to buy an older generation iPhone,” Ernest Doku, a telecoms expert with uSwitch stated. “With the 5C costing the same as the 5, this may well happen, but it hasn’t yet. In fact, consumers are instead opting for the high end 5S - with a gold rush that’s leaving the white and space grey models on the shelves.”
He added: “No doubt it’s early adopters that have given the 5S a boost into the top ten, but if the price sticks at £42 per month, it’ll soon lose favour with smartphone fans. Until it drops in price, many mobile fans won’t consider it.”
With the HTC One the chart’s only none Apple or Samsung handset to make the month’s top ten positions in eighth, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and Samsung Galaxy Note 3 rounded out the lead positions in ninth and tenth respectively.
“Nine spaces in the September chart were hogged by Samsung and Apple, with the only other entry in the form of the HTC One Silver which has featured since May,” Doku stated. “With all the big phones of the year now launched, consumer interest has been re-ignited as people weigh up their options for shiny new handsets in time for Christmas.”
Read More: Samsung Galaxy S5 rumours
