iPhone 5S the most popular handset for fifth month running

Apple and Samsung take seven of the top ten positions in the uSwitch.com Mobile Tracker for February  

The Apple iPhone 5S has maintained its position as the UK’s most popular handset for the fifth month running, with the iPhone 5c replacing the now third placed Samsung Galaxy S4 in second.

This is according to the uSwitch.com Mobile Tracker for February, which is based on live searches, pre-orders and sales. Statistics are derived from mobile phone deal comparison website Omio’s partners, which include uSwitch.com. This totals more than 10 million monthly page views, with the data a result of an aggregation of all clicks and sales from these partner sites.

Between them, Apple and Samsung hold seven of the top 10 positions, with the former occupying three of the top five places.

The iPhone 4S has replaced the Galaxy S3 in fourth with the Samsun g device dropping to fifth. The Galaxy Note 3 and HTC One held onto their respective rankings of sixth and seventh, with the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact a new entry at eight.

Sony’s current flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z1, held onto ninth position, while the Galaxy S4 Mini fell two places to tenth. The now discontinued iPhone 5 has dropped out of the chart altogether having been the tenth most popular handset in January.

uSwtich.com telecoms expert Ernest Doku said: “The biggest surprise this month has been the impressive jump of the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, which has shot into the charts and even surpassed its bigger brother, the Z1.

“The iPhone 4 is no longer in the charts, which sees Samsung become the most popular manufacturer, based on total number of handsets in the top 10. However, the British public are still very much ‘Team Apple’, with the iPhone 5S and 5C holding onto the top two spots.

“The flagship S5 appears top be untouchable for now, but Mobile World Congress in Barcelona unveiled what is very likely to be some very stiff competition for Apple.”