New iPhone models generally take some time before they catch the sales of the already-selling iPhones. To everybody’s surprise, iPhone 12 outperformed iPhone 11 in Q1 sales. According to a new report by Counterpoint Research, iPhone 12 had 2% more active users in Q1 2021 than the iPhone 11 had in Q1 2020.

Back in January, iPhone 12 became the ‘top selling’ smartphone of the month. Now, the firm has released reports for the first quarter of this year, and the figures are looking quite good.

Even though Apple does not release the install base data — that gives us an idea of many iPhones of a particular series were sold — Counterpoint has released an estimate that showcases iPhone 12’s sales. iPhone 11, after the quarter it was released, i.e., Q1 2020 acquired a 15% user base, whereas iPhone 12 in Q1 2021 was at 16%.

“One generation old models’ share in this data also shows that the iPhone 11 series’ performance was better than the XS series. The iPhone 11 series performed well not only in its early days after launch but also maintained the momentum for a considerable period after the iPhone 12 series launch.”

iPhone 12 not only had to compete with iPhone 11, a smartphone that had a strong foothold even after iPhone 12 was released, but it also had to compete with iPhone SE 2020 series — the cheapest iPhone. The report points out that the features like OLED across all models and 5G were a major push to these sales.

“There is a large pent-up demand for 5G upgrade, especially within the iOS base, which is now getting converted into sales. This was complemented by strong carrier promos, especially in the US, which accounted for over one-third of the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro sales for the month. All carriers were offering the iPhone 12 for $0 through a mix of the trade-in and unlimited plans.”

If you’re looking to grab an iPhone 12 series model, why not get it for free.

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