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Apple iPhone 5C narrows 5S' lead in global activations

The number of active iPhone 5S devices is now about double the number of 5C devices, not triple, according to a new report from mobile analytics firm Localytics

Shara Tibken Former managing editor
Shara Tibken was a managing editor at CNET News, overseeing a team covering tech policy, EU tech, mobile and the digital divide. She previously covered mobile as a senior reporter at CNET and also wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. Shara is a native Midwesterner who still prefers "pop" over "soda."
Shara Tibken
2 min read
Apple's iPhone 5C comes in multiple colors. Josh Lowensohn/CNET
Apple's iPhone 5C has narrowed its gap with the iPhone 5S in terms of activations, according to a new report, but the pricier phone is still about twice as popular.

For every iPhone 5C activation in the US, there are 1.9 iPhone 5S activations, according to mobile analytics firm Localytics. Globally, the gap widens to 2.3 iPhone 5S devices per iPhone 5C. Still, the difference is much better than a couple weeks ago when Localytics found that the iPhone 5S outpaced the iPhone 5C by a factor of 3.4.

The smaller gap in the US indicates the cheaper device is more popular here than in other markets, including the much-desired developing regions, the firm said. It examined 20 million devices as part of the iPhone study.

The iPhone 5S is still outselling the 5C globally by more than double, according to Localytics. Localytics
While Apple still sells a truckload of iPhones, the fate of its continued growth is a little less certain. The Cupertino, Calif., company may have invented the modern generation of touchscreen smartphones, but it faces stiff competition from companies unafraid to offer dirt-cheap, but functional, phones. While the iPhone remains king in the US, it has since ceded its leadership position elsewhere around the world. Globally, Apple has been losing market share to Android devices, particularly from Samsung.

The company also has faced more competition in tablets. Apple on Tuesday will unveil its newest iPads as it attempts to stave off competition from Android devices.

Check out CNET's live coverage of the Apple's event on Oct. 22.