Apple Sells 73 Million iPhones in Q4, Closes Gap on Samsung: Reports

A research note from KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via AppleInsider) tips that iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus saw a combined 73 million unit sales in the last quarter ending December. Additionally, other reports claim that China saw more iPhone shipments than the US and that Samsung saw a dip in overall smartphone market share.

Kuo adds that the iPhone 6 hit about 42 million units, while the bigger iPhone 6 Plus saw around 16 million units being sold in the quarter.

In 2015, Kuo predicts that the iPhone 6 lineup will slow down a bit with just 61.7 million units being sold. "A performance of that caliber would buffer seasonally slow sales," notes AppleInsider.

(Also see: Apple CEO Tim Cook Receives Hefty Bonus for 2014)

Kuo, corroborating to earlier reports, believes that the Apple Watch will launch in March. "While Apple has stayed mum on exact specifications, the company could fill in the blanks with a special announcement prior to the device's debut," the analyst added.

Another report citing analysts at UBS estimate that Apple in China primarily saw a rise in iPhone shipments. Financial Times notes, "China accounted for 36 percent of iPhone shipments in the most recent quarter, compared with 24 percent for the US."

The rise in number of iPhone shipments in China could be credited to the strong demand for both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Reports in October claimed that iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus pre-orders in China had reached about 20 million units.

Apple's new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have been received well in several markets and a recent report even added that the company sold impressive numbers of iPhones in Asian countries, where it historically has not done as well as other regions.

WSJ in the meanwhile reports (via PhoneArena) that Samsung saw a drop in market share. Canalys suggests that Samsung saw overall smartphone market share drop from 34 percent to 25 percent. It adds that Samsung saw 78 million smartphones shipped in 2014. Notably, the analysis firm without giving an exact figure also suggested that Apple saw a rise in shipments.