More Americans are using iPhones than Android phones for the first time ever, new report says — a major milestone for Apple

• More US users are using Apple's iPhone than Android smartphones, per a new report.
• That figure includes quarterly smartphone shipments as well as used iPhone buyers and existing owners.

More smartphone users in the US are using Apple's iPhone over Android for the first time ever, according to new data from Counterpoint Research, which the Financial Times viewed.

The milestone doesn't only include quarterly smartphone shipments, whose figures can rise and dip randomly. Counterpoint estimated in a publicly available report that Apple held 48% of the smartphone shipment market share in Q2.

The landmark instead also encompasses what is called the "active installed base," which accounts for smartphone users that bought used iPhones as well as users with devices older than a year.

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It represents a significant moment for the smartphone giant, which has been increasingly dominating the market in the US since its iPhone debuted in 2007, despite competitors like Blackberry and Nokia at one point biting into its share.

Apple is seeing its numbers rise outside of the US too. Apple caught 57% of the global premium smartphone market share in the second quarter ending in June, per Counterpoint. Samsung, which uses Google's operating system, and other brands made up the rest.

Apple's iPhone sales helped the company hit its $2 trillion market cap in August 2020, making it the first US-listed firm to reach such a point. The company is also more broadly focused on keeping users locked into the Apple ecosystem with its pinwheel of devices and services.

The company is gearing up next week for its annual fall extravaganza, in which it announces new products and features. Apple is expected to unveil its line of iPhone 14 smartphones, which will have larger screens and faster processors.

The company is also expected to roll out its Apple Watch Series 8 and a rumored Apple Watch Pro. Apple will be live streaming the event on September 7.