comScore today released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending October 2011. The study surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers and found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 25.5 percent market share. Google Android continued to gain ground in the smartphone market reaching 46.3 percent market share.
OEM Market Share
For the three-month average period ending in October, 234 million Americans age 13 and older used mobile devices. Device manufacturer Samsung ranked as the top OEM with 25.5 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers, followed by LG with 20.6 percent share and Motorola with 13.6 percent share. Apple strengthened its position at #4 with 10.8 percent share of mobile subscribers (up 1.3 percentage points), while RIM rounded out the top five with 6.6 percent share.
Smartphone Platform Market Share
90 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in October, up 10 percent from the preceding three month period. Google Android ranked as the top smartphone platform with 46.3 percent market share, up 4.4 percentage points from the prior three-month period. Apple maintained its #2 position, growing 1.0 percentage point to 28.1 percent of the smartphone market. RIM ranked third with 17.2 percent share, followed by Microsoft (5.4 percent) and Symbian (1.6 percent).
Mobile Content Usage
In October, 71.8 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers used text messaging on their mobile device, up 1.8 percentage points. Browsers were used by 44.0 percent of subscribers (up 2.9 percentage points), while downloaded applications were used by 43.8 percent (up 3.2 percentage points). Accessing of social networking sites or blogs increased 2.2 percentage points to 32.3 percent of mobile subscribers. Game-playing was done by 29.2 percent of the mobile audience (up 1.4 percentage points), while 21.2 percent listened to music on their phones (up 0.9 percentage points).
About MobiLens
MobiLens data is derived from an intelligent online survey of a nationally representative sample of mobile subscribers age 13 and above. Data on mobile phone usage refers to a respondent’s primary mobile phone and does not include data related to a respondent’s secondary device.
Source: comScore, Inc.
MacDailyNews Take: When looking at these figures, it is important to keep in mind that they represent a three-month average ending October 2011. Apple’s iPhone 4S, ahead of which a significant pause in iPhone and, indeed, all smartphone buying was seen as consumers awaited the news that was ultimately revealed during Apple’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” event on October 4, 2011. Apple’s iPhone did not launch in the U.S. until October 14, 2011, so, at best, comScore’s numbers above only include 18 days of iPhone 4S availability.
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