Based on data released by ATLAS Research & Consulting, the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 edge during the second week of this month coincided with a small decline in Korean sales of the Apple iPhone 6 and Apple iPhone 6 Plus. The vice-chairman of the research firm, a gentleman with the name Jang, Joong-hyeok, said "It is very natural for iPhone 6 sales to decline, as six months have passed since its release." But considering the decline that ATLAS is talking about, we're sure that the top brass in Cupertino never even gave this information a second thought.
The decline in iPhone 6 sales for the week that saw Samsung launch its two new flagships amounted to just 4.7% If that were the largest week-to-week decline in iPhone 6 sales, we might see some concern at Apple. But the data shows a greater than 24% drop in sales of the two new iPhone 6 models from the last week in March to the first week of April. The previous week saw a 15% decline in sales. If anything, iPhone 6 sales showed a smaller decline during the week when Samsung released its new handsets.
Recommended For You
Keep in mind that the data consists of offline sales made in brick and mortar stores and is not a precise tally, but rather an estimate. And yes, there might have been some Korean phone buyers who decided on the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge instead of the iPhone 6 or the iPhone 6 Plus. But to characterize the data as showing that iPhone sales were greatly affected by the launch of Sammy's latest and greatest handsets would be wrong.
Data shows that offline brick and mortar sales of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus had a small decline during the week that saw Samsung launch the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge
Get Visible as low as $20/mo for 1 year. Limited time offer with code: FRESHSTART
$20
/mo
$25
$5 off (20%)
Offer Ends 6.1.2026 at 11.59pm ET. New members get $5/mo off the $25/mg Visible plan, $35/mo Visible+ plan, or $45/mo Visible+ Pro plan for the first 12 months. Promo code FRESHSTART required at checkout.
Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: