“Foreword by Phil Aldridge, Technical Director of FunctionEight Limited. Nothing really surprising here but please be aware that this is US stats which is not a true representation of the Global market where Apple has around 9% Smartphone Market Share. However in the US since the launch of the iPhone 5 Apple have gained ground and have overtaken Android sales. I agree with Dominic that the percentage market share will increase over the next two periods but then I would expect that to stop and Android will regain market share once the Samsung Note II and other new Android device sales start to show in the stats. What is of most interest in this article is the almost non existence share that Rim, Windows and others have compared to the Big 2. With Microsofts launch of Windows 8 in order for it to be successful the sales need to be almost astronomic in order to get them anywhere near Apple and Android. I think if Microsoft does not get a market share of at least 10 percent then it would be considered a failure. Is there a future for RIM? As I see it with their stated strategy there is no way for them back into the market other than via acquisition. If you are not sure what smartphone device best suits your business needs then please email FunctionEight at f8.info@functioneight.com for advice.”
Research firm Kantar Worldpanel shares its latest data on U.S. smartphone sales, calculating that a strong debut from the iPhone 5 has enabled Apple to retake the lead from Android in the race for the top platform. The report pegs Apple’s share of the market during the August-October period at 48.1%, compared to 46.7% for Android.
Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, comments: “The last time we saw iOS overtake Android in the US was when the iPhone 4S was released and Apple managed to retain its lead for three consecutive periods. This time we predict that Apple will beat its previous high of 49.3% and achieve its highest ever share of the US smartphone market within the next two periods.”
Apple has, however, found stiffer competition from Android internationally, with Android holding 60-80% share in most other markets tracked by Kantar Worldpanel. Notable areas of weakness for Apple include Brazil (0.4%) and Spain (4.0%), but the company continues to perform fairly well in countries such as the the United Kingdom (32.7%) and Australia (29.4%).
The firm’s surveys of U.S. iPhone customers finds a healthy 60/40 balance between upgrade buyers and new users, suggesting that Apple is continuing to see loyal customers while also attracting new users with the iPhone 5. According to the report, 92% of current Apple users indicate that they will purchase an iPhone as their next phone.
Original Article created by Eric Slivka.
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