iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X Ranked Top Three Best-Selling Smartphones in Nov.

Here in the U.S., Apple’s latest and greatest iPhone models were the top three best-selling smartphone flagships during the month of November, according to market research firm, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, whose analysts added that even despite its exorbitant price, the company’s high-end iPhone X managed to sell like hotcakes — achieving “stellar” performance — in key international markets, including China, Japan, and U.K.

Kantar’s Global Strategic Insight Director, Dominic Sunnebo, noted however that while overall iPhone sales performance struggled during the three-month period leading up to November, 2017 — if we merely take into consideration the “staged release” of Apple’s iPhone 8 and iPhone X, then, at the least, figures presented in this report are a telling sign of initial market reception.

China

Kantar noted, for starters, that “iPhone X was the top selling model in urban China in November, with a market share of 6.0 percent,” while adding that “in urban China there are significant numbers of Huawei, Xiaomi and Samsung customers switching to the new iPhone models, which they deem a cut above the rest.”

Additionally, in contrast to the U.S. and Europe — where iOS marketshare dipped by 3.8 and 0.6 percent, respectively — marketshare in urban China continues to skyrocket — gaining an additional 4.6 percent, and bringing the overall iOS marketshare in the country to 25 percent, as of November, 2017.

Japan

In Japan, Apple’s iPhone X and iPhone 8 notched the top two sales slots, respectively, with the OLED and Face ID-equipped iPhone X accounting for an impressive 18.2% of smartphone sales. The standard iPhone 8, meanwhile, was not too far behind at 17.2%.

United Kingdom

iPhone X performance was also particularly strong in the U.K., where Kantar insists Apple “easily” took back the No. 1 spot which was previously held by Samsung. Furthermore, not only did iOS marketshare grow to an estimated 49.4 percent in the U.K., but Apple’s iPhone X was the No. 1 best-selling model in November, capturing a 14.4 percent share.

Sunnebo and his colleagues go on to caution, however, that “as the most expensive mass-market smartphone currently available it remains to be seen how long it can maintain this momentum at its current price point of £999.”

U.S.A.

Which is a particularly interesting point as we direct our attention to Kantar’s assessment of iPhone sales performance here in the U.S.

During the month of November, which was the first in which iPhone X was available to order, Apple interestingly sold more iPhone 8 and 8 Plus devices — and while all three iPhones ultimately managed to notch the top 3 slots on Kantar’s list, the feat comes amid iOS marketshare dropping by a weighty 3.8 percent Stateside during the fiscal third-quarter.

iPhone X or Bust?

The stakes were and continue to be high for Apple and its thousand-dollar iPhone X. As we noted in a previous report, while initial estimates would suggest iPhone X was flying off the shelves at most outlets, a slurry of subsequent analyses have since cautioned initial demand for the OLED-equipped iPhone may be dying down as we speak.

Ultimately, however, we won’t know the full scope of how iPhone X is selling until Apple tells us, itself, during its Q1, 2018 earnings call scheduled for February 1.