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 December 2011. The study surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers and found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 25.3 percent market share. Google Android strengthened its lead in the smartphone market to reach 47.3 percent market share.
OEM Market Share
For the three-month average period ending in December, 234 million Americans age 13 and older used mobile devices. Device manufacturer Samsung ranked as the top OEM with 25.3 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers, followed by LG with 20 percent share and Motorola with 13.3 percent share. Apple continued to gain ground in the OEM market with 12.4 percent share of total mobile subscribers (up 2.2 percentage points), while RIM rounded out the top five with 6.7 percent share.
Smartphone Platform Market Share
97.9 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in December, representing 40 percent of all mobile subscribers. Google Android ranked as the top smartphone platform with 47.3 percent market share, up 2.5 percentage points from September. Apple maintained its #2 position, growing 2.2 percentage points to 29.6 percent of the smartphone market. RIM ranked third with 16 percent share, followed by Microsoft (4.7 percent) and Symbian (1.4 percent).
It is important to note that this is a three-month average, October-December, and that Apple’s iPhone 4S did not debut int he U.S. until mid-October.
Mobile Content Usage
In December, 74.3 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers used text messaging on their mobile device, up 3.2 percentage points. Downloaded applications were used by 47.6 percent of subscribers (up 5.1 percentage points), while browsers were used by 47.5 percent (up 4.6 percentage points). Accessing of social networking sites or blogs increased 3.8 percentage points to 35.3 percent of mobile subscribers. Game-playing was done by 31.4 percent of the mobile audience (up 2.6 percentage points), while 23.8 percent listened to music on their phones (up 2.9 percentage points).
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.
[Attribution: MacNN. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Brawndo Drinker” for the heads up.]
They can’t seem to get this story straight… differing accounts.
Because they’re using fuzzy math?
😆
No, they got the story straight.
The difference is that this statistics observes “installed base”, rather than sales of new devices for Q4.
So these accounts match each other.
Interesting, too, to see how desperate Microsoft’s mobile picture is becoming. Windows/Windows Phone 8 is going to be make-or-break for them. (They’re probably hoping for a “saving throw” from all the Android patent litigation, too.)
iPhone – Three smartphone models from ONE company controlling hardware and OS development.
Android – MANY smartphone models from MANY companies, with no control over OS.
I hate these two charts (the first two) because the one that compares companies uses “Total U.S. Mobile Subscribers,” which includes ALL mobile phones, not just the “smart” ones. That puts Apple lower in the list versus Samsung, LG, and Moto. The second compares smartphone platforms, not companies that produce smartphones.
I think it’s an intentional effort by “comScore” (and whoever pays them to do these surveys) to underplay Apple extraordinarily strong position in smartphones. Apple is #1 where it counts.
A lot of the media continues to underplay Apple and Apple’s products. You’ve got an Apple in the form of King Kong standing at the top of the Empire State building, knocking airplanes out of the sky and yet the media is still trying to underplay Apple. It’s like market share will always be everything to Wall Street and the media. Apple is taking a major part of the loot and it’s so easy to see every quarter.
What does the media even get out of belittling Apple? Eyeballs, clicks and controversy. Just mention the world Apple and there’s some sort of firestorm debate. What good does do for a company to be at the top of the charts unless they’re making big money from being there? None whatsoever. This is big, serious business, not some unit numbers pissing contest. It’s plain to see that the iPhone is sitting in the catbird’s seat, so why do they even bother to play out the numbers. With Apple’s reserve cash, is there anything that Apple can’t do to strengthen it’s position in the smartphone industry.
Ugly Bloodbath. Apple Rocks! Patent it. Boom.
Time to stop mentioning RIM, though.
Walking dead.
Oh The Humanity of it All. Where has 25 years GONE!? i Yi Yi! 🙂