Technology
Ranked: The Most Popular Smartphone Brands in the U.S.
See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.
Ranked: The Most Popular Smartphone Brands in the U.S.
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on Apple or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Chances are you’re reading this article on a smartphone. But which one?
While mobile devices look increasingly similar now, their specs and the associated quality with certain companies impacts consumer preferences in significant ways.
We visualize the most popular smartphone brands in the U.S., from a Statista survey which ran from January to December, 2023, asking 9,500+ respondents, aged 18–64:
“What brand is your primarily used smartphone?”
Brands are ranked by the percentage of respondents who answered with their name.
Apple is America’s Favorite Smartphone Brand
The iPhone reigns supreme in America (50% market share) , with Samsung a distant second in terms of popularity. The iPhone’s success is so central to the company now, that Apple earns more than half of its revenue from its sales.
But the iPhone has also had an impact far beyond that: industry commenters have been using it as a benchmark for other watershed technological developments since.
For example, the common saying “the iPhone moment of AI” has recently made the rounds, alluding to how artificial intelligence will similarly transform the way we live, work, and entertain ourselves.
| Rank | Brand | % of Respondents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇺🇸 Apple | 50% |
| 2 | 🇰🇷 Samsung | 27% |
| 3 | 🇺🇸 Motorola | 6% |
| 4 | 5% | |
| 5 | 🇹🇼 HTC | 1% |
| 6 | 🇨🇳 Huawei | 1% |
| 7 | 🇫🇮 Nokia | 1% |
| 8 | 🇨🇳 OnePlus | 1% |
| 9 | 🇨🇳 ZTE | 1% |
| N/A | 🌍 Other | 4% |
| N/A | 🤷 Don't know / didn't answer | 2% |
Note: In our graphic, HTC, Huawei, Nokia, OnePlus, and ZTE were rolled into the “Other” category.
Motorola and Google have been making inroads in the U.S. market with the former resurrecting the fan-favorite RAZR as a budget flip smartphone. The latter, meanwhile, has revolutionized post-processing mobile photography in their Pixel lineup.
Also interesting is that Huawei has held onto a 1% market share. The company was banned from selling its products in the U.S. in 2022. However, Americans can still get a hold of their handsets, either abroad or through third-party sellers.
ZTE (1%) also faced similar restrictions in 2022. Both companies are seen as national security threats because of their larger roles in providing critical communications infrastructure.
Technology
Charting the Next Generation of Internet
In this graphic, Visual Capitalist has partnered with MSCI to explore the potential of satellite internet as the next generation of internet innovation.
Could Tomorrow’s Internet be Streamed from Space?
In 2023, 2.6 billion people could not access the internet. Today, companies worldwide are looking to innovative technology to ensure more people are online at the speed of today’s technology.
Could satellite internet provide the solution?
In collaboration with MSCI, we embarked on a journey to explore whether tomorrow’s internet could be streamed from space.
Satellite Internet’s Potential Customer Base
Millions of people live in rural communities or mobile homes, and many spend much of their lives at sea or have no fixed abode. So, they cannot access the internet simply because the technology is unavailable.
Satellite internet gives these communities access to the internet without requiring a fixed location. Consequently, the volume of people who could get online using satellite internet is significant:
| Area | Potential Subscribers |
|---|---|
| Households Without Internet Access | 600,000,000 |
| RVs | 11,000,000 |
| Recreational Boats | 8,500,000 |
| Ships | 100,000 |
| Commercial Aircraft | 25,000 |
Advances in Satellite Technology
Satellite internet is not a new concept. However, it has only recently been that roadblocks around cost and long turnaround times have been overcome.
NASA’s space shuttle, until it was retired in 2011, was the only reusable means of transporting crew and cargo into orbit. It cost over $1.5 billion and took an average of 252 days to launch and refurbish.
In stark contrast, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 can now launch objects into orbit and maintain them at a fraction of the time and cost, less than 1% of the space shuttle’s cost.
| Average Rocket Turnaround Time | Average Launch/Refurbishment Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Falcon 9* | 21 days | < $1,000,000 |
| Space Shuttle | 252 days | $1,500,000,000 (approximately) |
Satellites are now deployed 300 miles in low Earth orbit (LEO) rather than 22,000 miles above Earth in Geostationary Orbit (GEO), previously the typical satellite deployment altitude.
What this means for the consumer is that satellite internet streamed from LEO has a latency of 40 ms, which is an optimal internet connection. Especially when compared to the 700 ms stream latency experienced with satellite internet streamed from GEO.
What Would it Take to Build a Satellite Internet?
SpaceX, the private company that operates Starlink, currently has 4,500 satellites. However, the company believes it will require 10 times this number to provide comprehensive satellite internet coverage.
Charting the number of active satellites reveals that, despite the increasing number of active satellites, many more must be launched to create a comprehensive satellite internet.
| Year | Number of Active Satellites |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 6,905 |
| 2021 | 4,800 |
| 2020 | 3,256 |
| 2019 | 2,272 |
| 2018 | 2,027 |
| 2017 | 1,778 |
| 2016 | 1,462 |
| 2015 | 1,364 |
| 2014 | 1,262 |
| 2013 | 1,187 |
Next-Generation Internet Innovation
Innovation is at the heart of the internet’s next generation, and the MSCI Next Generation Innovation Index exposes investors to companies that can take advantage of potentially disruptive technologies like satellite internet.
You can gain exposure to companies advancing access to the internet with four indexes:
- MSCI ACWI IMI Next Generation Internet Innovation Index
- MSCI World IMI Next Generation Internet Innovation 30 Index
- MSCI China All Shares IMI Next Generation Internet Innovation Index
- MSCI China A Onshore IMI Next Generation Internet Innovation Index
MSCI thematic indexes are objective, rules-based, and regularly updated to focus on specific emerging trends that could evolve.
Click here to explore the MSCI thematic indexes
-
Technology1 week agoCountries With the Highest Rates of Crypto Ownership
While the U.S. is a major market for cryptocurrencies, two countries surpass it in terms of their rates of crypto ownership.
-
Technology2 weeks agoMapped: The Number of AI Startups By Country
Over the past decade, thousands of AI startups have been funded worldwide. See which countries are leading the charge in this map graphic.
-
Technology3 weeks agoAll of the Grants Given by the U.S. CHIPS Act
Intel, TSMC, and more have received billions in subsidies from the U.S. CHIPS Act in 2024.
-
Technology3 weeks agoVisualizing AI Patents by Country
See which countries have been granted the most AI patents each year, from 2012 to 2022.
-
Technology4 weeks agoHow Tech Logos Have Evolved Over Time
From complete overhauls to more subtle tweaks, these tech logos have had quite a journey. Featuring: Google, Apple, and more.
-
AI1 month agoRanked: Semiconductor Companies by Industry Revenue Share
Nvidia is coming for Intel’s crown. Samsung is losing ground. AI is transforming the space. We break down revenue for semiconductor companies.
-
Personal Finance1 week agoVisualizing the Tax Burden of Every U.S. State
-
Misc6 days agoVisualized: Aircraft Carriers by Country
-
Culture6 days agoHow Popular Snack Brand Logos Have Changed
-
Mining1 week agoVisualizing Copper Production by Country in 2023
-
Misc1 week agoCharted: How Americans Feel About Federal Government Agencies
-
Healthcare1 week agoWhich Countries Have the Highest Infant Mortality Rates?
-
Demographics1 week agoMapped: U.S. Immigrants by Region
-
Maps1 week agoMapped: Southeast Asia’s GDP Per Capita, by Country