When Apple unveiled the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in September 2014, it marked a critical juncture for the company‘s most important product line. By responding to consumer demand for larger smartphone screens, the iPhone 6 series set the stage for Apple to completely transform the mobile landscape.
With a spacious 4.7-inch display on the iPhone 6 and a expansive 5.5-inch screen on the iPhone 6 Plus, these models blew away sales records to become the best-selling iPhones ever released. According to Apple Insider, over 222.4 million iPhone 6 devices were sold from 2014 to 2016.
The iPhone 6 Capitalized on the Growing "Phablet" Trend
Prior to the iPhone 6, Apple had rigidly stuck with the smaller 3.5 to 4-inch screen sizes on every iPhone since the original model in 2007. However, Android manufacturers like Samsung had started offering phones with much bigger screens in the range of 5-inches or greater. These larger phones were often called "phablets" since they blurred the line between smartphones and tablets.
While phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note proved extremely popular, Apple did not immediately jump on the large screen bandwagon. In fact, Apple had repeatedly indicated a preference for smaller screens that could be easily used with one hand.
But with each new phablet release from Samsung continuing to sell impressively, it soon became clear that consumers appreciated having extra screen real estate for videos, games, web browsing and apps.
According to TechRepublic writer Brooke Crothers, the success of large-screen Android phones like the Note 3 finally convinced Apple executives to develop a bigger iPhone. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus would address consumer demand while also staying true to Apple’s commitment to high-quality displays and emphasis on one-handed usability.
The iPhone 6 & 6 Plus Quickly Set Sales Records
When Tim Cook unveiled a larger, thinner and faster iPhone 6 in September 2014, tech enthusiasts and Apple fans immediately flocked to get their hands on one. During the first weekend that the phones went on sale, Apple reported selling more than 10 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units.
This blowout opening weekend doubled the iPhone‘s previous first-weekend sales record of 5 million, which was set one year earlier by the iPhone 5S and 5C. It also topped analysts‘ most ambitious forecasts for about 6 to 8 million device sales.
According to Apple Insider‘s quarterly iPhone sales history estimates, iPhone 6 series sales continued rocketing upwards to 74.5 million units sold by December 2014. This is particularly impressive when contrasted with the "disappointing" 51 million iPhones that Apple moved in the first full quarter of iPhone 5S availability the previous year.
So despite being Apple‘s first foray into super-sized smartphone screens, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were wholeheartedly embraced around the globe. The phones resonated worldwide, from existing iPhone owners due for an upgrade to Android users tempted to switch over by Apple‘s new phablet-sized offerings.
IPhone 6 Series Dominated Global Smartphone Sales
Like no iPhone before, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus achieved record-smashing sales that catapulted Apple to the top of the smartphone industry. Just six months after release, research firm Strategy Analytics reported that Apple had sold 100 million iPhone 6 devices worldwide.
This made the iPhone 6 Apple’s fastest-selling phone ever. Outpacing sales of the previous best-sellers – the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S, both of which took about one year to reach the same milestone.
According to research from IDC, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus quickly became the world‘s most popular smartphone models based on shipments. Impressively, iPhone 6 series shipments actually accounted for 27.6% of global smartphone shipments in the first quarter of 2015.
In Q1 2015, Apple shipped 61.1 million iPhones worldwide which far outpaced the next most popular model – Samsung’s Galaxy S5 – which shipped 11.4 million units during the same period.
The oversized yet elegant unibody design is credited for much of the iPhone 6‘s universal appeal. This device finally gave Apple fans the bigger screen they craved while retaining the polished look and feel of a premium iPhone.
IPhone 6 Impact &Legacy Set the Stage for the Future
With over 222 million iPhone 6 models sold, Apple‘s first phablet was an absolute homerun that smashed company sales records along with the competition from Android.
Apple successfully pivoted into larger-screened phones while still promoting iPhone virtues like superior apps, smooth performance, great cameras and high build quality. The iPhone 6 struck a perfect balance of portability, utility and ample screen real estate.
This winning formula has now become the blueprint for all subsequent iPhone models. The runaway success of the iPhone 6 ensured that 4.7 and 5.5-inch screens were here to stay on Apple’s newest smartphones.
Following the trail blazed by iPhone 6 devices, Apple introduced even better big-screened models like the iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone XR which also racked up tens of millions of sales each.
It may have taken Apple a few years to respond to the large screen smartphone trend, but they certainly made up for lost time with the record-setting iPhone 6 series. By sticking to their design principles while also delivering the bigger screens users clamored for, the iPhone 6 remains Apple‘s biggest smartphone success story ever.
