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Survey: More people are buying the iPhone 8 than iPhone X

Apple's priciest phone isn't its most popular, according to a consumer research group.

Gordon Gottsegen CNET contributor
Gordon Gottsegen is a tech writer who has experience working at publications like Wired. He loves testing out new gadgets and complaining about them. He is the ghost of all failed Kickstarters.
Gordon Gottsegen
2 min read
James Martin/CNET

The initial excitement surrounding the iPhone X may have dwindled. More people may be buying the iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus than the iPhone X in early 2018, according to a recent report by research group Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).

CIRP surveyed 500 people in the US who bought an iPhone, iPad or Mac this year between the start of January and the end of March. The survey found that the iPhone 8 made up 23 percent of iPhone sales this quarter, while the iPhone 8 Plus made up 21 percent. The iPhone X trailed at 16 percent, down from 20 percent the previous quarter. 

The CIRP survey states that iPhone X sales have declined since last quarter, while iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus sales have gone up. 500 people is a fairly small sample size, so take the findings with a grain of salt.

Check out the breakdown below (and click to enlarge the image):

cirp-iphone-sales-2018q1-data
Enlarge Image
cirp-iphone-sales-2018q1-data

CIRP compares its data to its findings from a year ago.

CIRP

The iPhone X marked Apple's first major design change since the iPhone 6 in 2014, and carries a price tag hundreds of dollars higher than the iPhone 8 an 8 Plus. The iPhone X is the only one of the trio to bring Face ID, the all-screen design, an OLED display, wireless charging and of course, Animojis. Cooling sales could indicate that midcycle buyers aren't connecting with the premium feature set, or the iPhone X's premium price.

The survey also shows a trend among respondents toward buying past years' iPhones. During the same months of 2017, the brand new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus accounted for nearly 70 percent of iPhone sales. This year, a lot more people are buying iPhones from one, two and even three years ago.

Watch this: Apple iPhone X: 3 months in

Apple CEO Tim Cook claimed on Feb. 1 that the iPhone X was the top seller every week since its release in November. Keep in mind that Cook's statement represents worldwide iPhone data, while CIRP only surveyed people in the US. Also, Cook's data represents the November through January period, while the CIRP survey covers January to end of March, so there's only one month of overlap.

Apple will announce its next quarterly earnings report on May 1. We'll get a more accurate picture of iPhone X sales then.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

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