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 November 2011. The study surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers and found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 25.6 percent market share. Google Android continued to capture share in the smartphone market to reach 46.9 percent market share.
OEM Market Share
For the three-month average period ending in November, 234 million Americans age 13 and older used mobile devices. Device manufacturer Samsung ranked as the top OEM with 25.6 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers (up 0.3 percentage points), followed by LG with 20.5 percent share and Motorola with 13.7 percent share. Apple strengthened its position at #4 with 11.2 percent share of total mobile subscribers (up 1.4 percentage points), while RIM rounded out the top five with 6.5 percent share.
Smartphone Platform Market Share
91.4 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in November, up 8 percent from the preceding three month period. Google Android ranked as the top smartphone platform with 46.9 percent market share, up 3.1 percentage points from the prior three-month period. Apple maintained its #2 position, growing 1.4 percentage point to 28.7 percent of the smartphone market. RIM ranked third with 16.6 percent share, followed by Microsoft (5.2 percent) and Symbian (1.5 percent).
Mobile Content Usage
In November, 72.6 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers used text messaging on their mobile device, up 2.1 percentage points. Downloaded applications were used by 44.9 percent of subscribers (up 3.3 percentage points), while browsers were used by 44.4 percent (up 2.3 percentage points). Accessing of social networking sites or blogs increased 2.1 percentage points to 33.0 percent of mobile subscribers. Game-playing was done by 29.7 percent of the mobile audience (up 1.2 percentage points), while 21.7 percent listened to music on their phones (up 1.0 percentage points).
Source: comScore, Inc.
MacDailyNews Note: The numbers above represent a three-month average ending in November. Apple released iPhone 4S with Siri in the U.S. on October 14, 2011.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Brawndo Drinker” and “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
It might be just 29% based on quantity but it takes more than 75% of the profit. Go AAPL..
I just got my iPhone 4s and I am totally blown away by siri and btw i just won the iphone :)) from here if I remember correctly, getappleproductsforfree(.)com/
Apple shouldn’t be satisfied until it takes a plurality of the smartphone market (based on OS), though majority would be even better! It needs to aim for iPod-style dominance. That is the ONLY way iPhone users can be assured that the iPhone will remain 1) the preeminent app market; 2) a viable choice for enterprise employees (against the wishes of the IT drones).
Who really cares if Apple is number one? As long as they make great products that I can buy, I don’t care if everyone has to have one for me to be happy.
Does Maserati have to sell more cars than Toyota to be considered a great car?
Does Maseratti need third-party developers to sustain it’s ecosystem?
More share is always good if you don’t have to cut your profits too much in order to do it.
BTW, I bet Apple’s smartphone share exceeds 31% for the next, rolling three month period–Oct/Nov/Dec. iPhone sales were pretty weak in Oct, the last full month without the 4S, and I’m sure Apple did pretty well in Dec. I’ll be very curious to see if Android’s share stopped growing, though there’s still some room for both of them to grow (ie, taking share from RIM & MS).
CORRECTION: I meant to say that iPhone sales were pretty weak in September, of course.
“The numbers above represent a three-month average ending in November. Apple released iPhone 4S with Siri in the U.S. on October 14, 2011.”
iPhone share grew 1.4% with a 1 and 2 year old model. THAT is dominance personified.
But the iPhone 4S was such a disappointment to everyone. Imagine the number of iPhones Apple would have sold if it wasn’t.
Apple just needs to be on as many carriers as possible. C-Spire is great example and believe it or not their phone plans are way better than the current big three. I think once T-Mobile gets the iPhone and Apple offers a prepaid iPhone 4 to the smaller pay as you go carriers, than I think you’ll see significant growth of Apple chipping away at Android.
Do I remember S. Jobs aiming at 1% market share (worldwide) for the iPhone? Personally I couldn’t care less about market share.
In fact this goal (1% market share) was reached in 2009.
http://www.edibleapple.com/2009/02/01/iphone-reaches-1-market-share-in-worldwide-cellphone-market/
The other 55.6% of iPhone users can’t browse the web due to its tiny 3.5″ screen. It’s time Apple stepped up to the plate and stopped producing outdated technology’s that’s behind the curve in every which way.
Well stated BLN. Not a potty word in your post. Unfortunately, not everyone has as large of hands or pockets as you do and many have good eye sight. The display is well suited to the vast majority who have normal hands, eyes and pockets.
The ones with big screen smart phones look like idiots. Not a phone and not a tablet. Stuck in no mans land. They just don’t know how stupid they look……yet!
Go suck on a beet, BLN, preferably a 4.5″ one.
IMO very foolish of MDN to give any credit to data from comScore. Just check out how they collect it and the history of charges of using spyware to do so. Just how representative of iPhone users are there respondents?
D’accord. I’m really interested in how they come up with “usage stats” without inspecting packets or using spyware, both of which are nefarious.
Yeah dude, gimmi dat big ass phone, like the big ass beeper I wear on my belt… so people think I’m cool..
…cause I have a tiny weenie!
When it comes to Google’s Android OS sales, there aren’t any.
The apparent “rise” of Android share is just the result of the generic phone brands going over to “Smart” status and taking the cheapest option system. Once this move is completed, and they are all on Android or similar, the rise of iPhone will be very clear.