Angela Lang/CNET

Smartphone prices have been creeping up over $1,000 in recent years, but it was Apple's less expensive iPhone XR that topped all other smartphones in shipments in the first half of 2019, says IHS Market. The iPhone XR shipped nearly 30 million units in the first half of 2019, according to a Thursday report from the market analysts.

At $749, the iPhone XR isn't exactly cheap, but it's the least expensive iPhone in Apple's 2018 lineup. IHS Market said 13.6 million iPhone XR units shipped in the first quarter and 13.3 million shipped in the second quarter -- bringing the total to 26.9 million for the first half of the year. That's more than double the number of Samsung Galaxy A10 phones, the No. 2 device on IHS Market's list, that shipped in the first half.

"Compared to the Android-based smartphone makers, Apple maintains a relatively small model lineup," said Jusy Hong, research and analysis director. "This means that Apple's total sales volume is divided among fewer models. As a result, each of Apple's iPhone models tends to generate higher shipment numbers than comparable Android smartphones, such as those sold by Samsung."

Apple's iPhone 8, released in 2017, and iPhone XS Max were also among the top smartphones for the first half of the year. Samsung's budget A10 and A50, which both cost less than $400, took second and third place, with 13.4 million and 12 million shipments respectively. None of Samsung's flagship Galaxy S10 phones made the list.