Apple shipped 4.5 million iPhone XR units to North America in Q1 2019: Canalys Research

The iPhone maker shipped 14.6 million devices in Q1 2019 in total, compared to 17.9 million devices shipped during Q1 2018.

The various colors of newly released Apple iPhone XR are seen following the product launch event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, U.S. September 12, 2018. (REUTERS)

The iPhone XR was the most popular smartphone in North America during the first quarter (Q1) of 2019, with nearly 4.5 million units shipped, even as handset shipments declined 18% year-on-year (YoY), according to Canalys Research estimates.

Smartphone shipments in North America plummeted to a five-year low of 36.4 million units, down from a record high of 44.4 million units shipped in Q1 2018.

The iPhone maker shipped 14.6 million devices in Q1 2019 in total, compared to 17.9 million devices shipped during Q1 2018.

"Apple's fall in Q1 followed particularly high shipments of flagship iPhones in the previous quarter. But there was a disconnect between channel orders and consumer demand, which then caused early shipments in Q1 to be challenging for Apple," Vincent Thielke, Analyst, Canalys Research, said in a statement.

Despite the decline, the company managed to maintain 40% market share in North America, one of the regions where it sees strong performance.

The next best was Samsung's Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10e, which reached two million units, or 6%, each.

"Samsung also benefited from carrier promotions in Q1, which used the Galaxy S10e as an incentive," said Thielke.

Samsung, with a 29.3% market share, shipped 10.7 million devices, LG 4.8 million devices and Lenovo shipped 2.4 million devices.