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The iPhone XR is no longer the world’s most popular smartphone

Apple’s iPhone 11 is the world’s most popular smartphone according to new data published by a leading research firm.

The Omida research company says the iPhone 11 overtook the legacy iPhone XR as the best selling phone in the world during the first three months of 2020 (via 9to5Mac).

The company says the iPhone 11 performed much better in 2020 than the iPhone XR did over the course of the first three months of 2019. And not just by a little, but a lot. Six million units to be precise.

Omida researchers, which is the amalgamated Informa Tech and IHS Markit groups, wrote: “Despite the devastating impact of coronavirus on consumer demand, Apple’s iPhone 11 shipments in the first quarter of 2020 exceeded its total for iPhone XR shipments during the first quarter of 2019 by nearly 6 million units.”

Related: Best iPhone 2020

The iPhone XR, according to the research, still placed in 5th in Q1 2020, above both the iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone 11 Pro.

The iPhone 11’s estimated 19.5 million units shipped (which hasn’t been officially confirmed by Apple, of course), is streets ahead of the nearest challenger. That’s the Galaxy A51 from Samsung, which is way back on 6.8 million. Two Redmi phones, the Note 8 and Note 8 Pro, were in third and fourth place, ahead of the iPhone XR.

The success of the iPhone 11 is great news for Apple as it battles some pretty tough global conditions for smartphone makers right now. The researchers praised Apple for hitting the “sweet spot” for premium functionality at a more affordable price point.

In his review, our own Max Parker concluded: “The iPhone 11 is the successor to the popular iPhone XR and it stands as our favourite iPhone you can buy right now. It’s an iPhone that’s very easy to recommend.”

It’ll be interesting to see whether, in a year’s time, its success is bettered by the presumed iPhone 12, or the iPhone SE 2, which offers incredibly good value at £419.

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