North American smartphone shipments reached 39 million units in the first quarter of 2022, up 3.7% year on year, according to Canalys. The research group says Apple grew 19% to achieve a 51% market share, powered by the strong performance of the iPhone 13.
Samsung was up 1% to take a 27% market share, thanks to its new S series and A series devices covering a range of price points. Motorola defended its strong Q4 2021 performance, which saw its focus on taking over LG’s former carrier slots and supply capacity pay off. TCL and Google completed the top five, with 4% and 3% market shares, respectively.
“The North American smartphone market has been buoyed by Apple’s strong growth,” says Canalys Analyst Brian Lynch. “This quarter, the iPhone 13’s high popularity was the key driver. With global demand more uncertain, Apple has shifted more devices back into North America after prioritizing other regions in Q4 2021, allowing it to greater fulfill demand and deliver on backorders from the previous quarter. In addition, the launch of the latest edition of the iPhone SE offers an affordable option for many of North America’s fiercely loyal iOS users. Despite not being mmWave-enabled, carriers’ increasing investments in C-band and sub-6GHz spectrums will open the door for the iPhone SE’s market growth in the coming quarters.”
