iPhone 5S Gold is Britain’s most popular mobile
Despite costing at least £37 a month for just 16GB of storage, Apple’s flash iPhone 5S Gold, boasting fingerprint ID technology, was the UK’s most popular phone in October, according to the uSwitch.com Mobile Tracker, which is based on live searches, pre-orders and sales. Apple handsets have topped the chart since March 2013.
Less popular with Apple fans is the cheaper and rather garish 5C in green which, despite rising two positions to a respectable 5th place is still lagging behind older iterations of the iPhone. With deals starting at £27 per month including a free phone, the 5C has been billed as the ‘more affordable’ Apple handset. But as it boasts similar specs to the older and less attention-grabbing iPhone 5, at a similar price, perhaps this colourful, polycarbonate, A6 processor-powered mobile just isn’t for everyone.
But it’s not all about Apple. In 3rd place is the Samsung Galaxy S4, which breaks up Apple’s domination of the top five. This flagship handset has continued to impress with game-changing features like STranslate - which offers real-time voice translation in hundreds of languages - and health monitors. And with prices now starting at £25 per month, this phone is more affordable than Apple for top-spec capabilities.
Retailing at the same price as the Galaxy S4 are the HTC One in silver and Sony Xperia Z1, which squeeze into the mobile top ten in 9th and 10th place respectively. Both are fun and robust flagship smartphones with impressive cameras. The HTC One is a mainstay of the mobile top ten, having appeared in the chart since March 2013, while Xperia Z1 is a new entry with plenty to offer including Bravia TV screen technology, access to all the Google Play apps and games. It’s also waterproof and dustproof, used for dramatic effect in its TV campaign. Sony’s older Xperia Z entered the chart in February and remained a top 10 bestselling phone for seven consecutive months.
Number one handset – Apple’s iPhone 5S 16GB in gold topples the iPhone 5 for the number one spot, ending its seven-month reign.
New entries – the Sony Xperia Z1 was the only new entry in October, squeezing into the chart at number ten
Biggest losers – the iPhone 4S 16GB in black has slipped four positions, dropping from 2nd position to 6th.
Top Ten Handsets for October – correct on 31st October, 2013
# - Handset - Powered by - Movement
1 Apple iPhone 5S (16GB Gold) iOS 7 Up four
2 Apple iPhone 5 (16GB Black) iOS Down one
3 Samsung Galaxy S4 (16 GB) Android No change
4 Apple iPhone 4 (8 GB Black) iOS No change
5 Apple iPhone 5C (16GB Green) iOS 7 Up two
6 Apple 4S (16GB Black) iOS Down four
7 Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android Up three
8 Samsung Galaxy S3 (16GB Blue) Android Down two
9 HTC One Silver Android Down one
10 Sony Xperia Z1 Android New entry
Source: uSwitch.com
Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at uSwitch.com, says: “The high price tag of the iPhone 5S had concerned tech pundits but, clearly, the gold model is a big hit with mobile fans, who are willing to stretch to £37 per month to get their hands on this bling. It’s a status symbol as much as a brilliant smartphone, while the 5C is more divisive thanks to a choice of four gaudy colours - which may explain why older iPhones are more popular.
“It’s good to see HTC and Sony up there with Samsung and Apple. The HTC One and the Xperia Z1 are strong options for anyone who doesn’t want to follow the crowd, and want a high spec, flagship handset for a lower price.”