Apple’s iPhone takes top spot from Google’s Android in U.S. smartphone market share

“Early success for the iPhone 5 smartphone has helped Apple to overtake Google’s Android software in the United States, research firm Kantar WorldPanel said on Tuesday,” Tarmo Virki reports for Reuters.

“Apple’s U.S. market share in the 12 weeks to October 31 more than doubled from a year ago to 48.1 percent, putting it within reach of the record 49.3 percent it managed in early 2012,” Virki reports. “Android’s share dropped to 46.7 percent from 63.3 percent, Kantar WorldPanel’s data showed.”

Read more in the full article here.

“Kantar says that 62% of all iPhone 5 sales in the U.S. were from existing Apple owners upgrading, with 13% coming from Android switchers, 6% from BlackBerry, and a ‘small number’ of first time smarphone owners,” Ingrid Lunden reports for TechCrunch. “The latter is a very key segment and one that all handset makers should be targeting as penetration of early adopters nears saturation.”

Lunden report, “Loyalty will continue to serve Apple well: Kantar Worldpanel Analyst Dominic Sunnebo says that ‘92% of existing Apple owners in the US said they will choose an iPhone the next time they upgrade.'”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Three iPhone models vs. 150+ Fragmandroid iPhone knockoffs in the United States. iPhone wins.

Related articles:
Apple’s iPhone 5 slows Android growth in U.S. and U.K. – October 30, 2012
Panic! Samsung’s iPhone 5 desperation is showing; pre-announces Galaxy S4 due in February – September 17, 2012
Apple rakes in 71% of the world’s smartphone profits – September 8, 2012
Growing anticipation for next-gen Apple iPhone creates ‘mother of all handset pauses’ – July 20, 2012
Apple’s iOS passes Google’s Android to take U.S. smartphone market share crown – January 25, 2012

23 Comments

  1. MDN got it right. There is no Android phone. The comparison is stupid. The metric for total phones is any iPhone 5 or 4S versus Samsung specific model (not a zillion sub models) or iOS vs HTC version of Android or Amazon version of Android. The only real metric is profit share, where there is no comparison worldwide.

      1. This!

        I can’t tell you how much it irritates me that these fraudulent wanna be would be fast food worker sales drone idiots try to push people onto that wretched Android platform.

  2. iPhone adoption rates would be higher if AT&T went back to the one year refresh period. I have to wait until July to qualify for a subsidized price. I’m sure the dip vs Android is related to this policy change two years ago…

  3. Android phones provide a cheap option for getting a new smartphone model. At some point though the low performance and quality will show and the user will opt for an iPhone.
    There are so many people I know who have got into the Apple ecosystem through iPhones and iPads primarily because it is the best out there and substitutes are poor in comparison.

    1. Android are not really any cheaper in subsidized markets like the US. Unless you are one of the few pay as you go customers you pay for a subsidy on your phone and your contract will be the same

  4. The author speaks of manufacturers targeting market segments. I don’t believe that Apple targets market segments. I believe that they simply produce the quality products that they themselves would want to own and let market segments take care of themselves and I for one think it’s a winning strategy.

  5. WHAT? but android phones are buy one get one free, free with
    contract, bigger screen, better specs?, The Future Is Here., and
    android is going going going………….pffffffffft……..fartttttttt

  6. I know these figures are for iOS and not iPhone specific, but these are accurate figures from stat counter with sales from Oct2011 to Oct 2012. These are 12 of the most affluent and developed nations in the world and Android only holds a market share lead in Germany,Austria and Spain. These figures don’t even include the bumper sales figures for November. Android is being shovelled knee deep into China and other developing countries, but Google doesn’t make a penny there. Apple has nothing at all to worry about, Androids strategy is deeply flawed :-

    UK iOS 43.65% Android 28.39%
    France iOS 51.21% Android 38.7%
    Italy iOS 44.71% Android 41.02%
    Canada iOS 59.11% Android 21.56%
    Australia iOS 68.4% Android 27.99%
    Japan iOS 51.54% Android 46.27%
    Norway iOS 53.97% Android 41.7%
    Spain iOS 30.29% Android 62.89%
    Sweden iOS 62% Android 35.3%
    Switzerland iOS 62.99% Android 32.58%
    Austria iOS 35.46% Android 57.4%
    Germany iOS 36.65% Android 52%

  7. premium android phones are for those who are internally thwarted and have a built in need to choose the inferior product when given a choice to say they, “made a choice” by not picking the superior product. cheap android phones are for cheap people. There will always be dynamics like Hertz and Avis, etc… does your #2 smartphone try harder? or do you just want an iPhone

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