iPhone X vs. iPhone 8: Which Device Sold More During The Holidays?

In a surprising turn of events, Apple’s iPhone 8 was found to have outperformed the iPhone X during the holiday season 2017. The sales data also revealed that the 2017 models performed better than the 2016 lineup of iPhones.

Consumer Intelligence Research Partners recently published a report showing the difference on the sales of the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus with the older iPhone models. However, the most interesting data came from consumers who bought iPhones between October and December 2017, when all of the new-generation iPhones have become available for purchase alongside the older-generation handsets.

The report, which can be found on Apple Insider’s website, indicates that 24 percent of consumers bought the iPhone 8, while 20 percent picked up the iPhone X. Meanwhile, only 17 percent chose the iPhone 8 Plus. Though the iPhone 8 did better than the iPhone X, the latter still did an amazing job considering that it was only available for two months (November and December) during the survey period.

Even though last year’s models outsold the older models in the later part of 2017, CIRP maintains that it’s actually hard to compare the 2017 lineup of iPhones with the 2016 entries for various reasons. "Comparisons to earlier launches are tricky at best. First, iPhone X wasn’t available for the full quarter. The Apple model pie is further divided, as they now offer eight models, the most ever. Apple launched the new phones on a different schedule, announcing three new models at once, but delaying the launch of the most advanced and expensive one, iPhone X, for five weeks following the launch of iPhone 8 and 8 Plus,” CIRP co-founder Josh Lowitz explained.

Apple Insider pointed out that data from other markets collected during the period when all three 2017 models became available for purchase last year also suggest that the iPhone 8 did surpass the iPhone X. Even the iPhone 8 Plus was found to have performed better compared to the iPhone X during the holiday season last year.

The sales report comes at a time when Apple suppliers are trying to diminish their reliance on the American company for orders of their services and products. Catcher Technology, Foxconn and Casetek Holdings — all involved in the production of Apple’s iPhones — are reportedly looking for other clients due to the decreasing demand for the iPhone X and other iPhone models.

The Chinese companies are reportedly talking to potential clients who are working on AR/VR head-mounted displays, smartwatches, home appliances and even those who specialize in electric vehicles. And this is believed to be due to the fact that Apple’s orders for iPhone components have been decreasing since December 2017.

The iPhone X has not met expectation by almost any measure. In fact a new report claims Apple could actually cancel production of the iPhone X before the iPhone 11 release date. KGI’s analyst predicts Apple will only ship 18 million units during the first quarter of 2018.

This story has been updated.