Apple Sets New High with 53.3% of U.S. Smartphone Market, Android Holds Strong in Europe

[stockscalper]

So they pick the time frame when the new iPhone is released? Why not go back to when the Galaxy III came out and compare sales with the iPhone? The picture would be totally different.

[patentlawyer]

Originally Posted by stockscalper

So they pick the time frame when the new iPhone is released? Why not go back to when the Galaxy III came out and compare sales with the iPhone? The picture would be totally different.

How? Then you'd be comparing the timeframe when a new android was released. Not totally different at all, in fact it'd be the exact same scenario

[bawbac]

Originally Posted by BaldiMac

Good point. I'd think people are more likely to replace $150 phones more often than $600 phones.

lol

[BaldiMac]

Originally Posted by bawbac

lol

Strong argument. Can you add a little detail?

[irDigital0l]

Overall U.S. smartphone market for 2012...

Android - 52%
iOS in second - 35%
Blackberry OS - 7%
Other - 5%
Windows Phone - 2%

Source: Nielsen

[KdParker]

Originally Posted by dalbir4444

I don't know why WP isn't doing well. Perhaps it has to do with them being late to the market, but I highly doubt it's because of not trusting MS.

Seems like it to me.

If there is a choice, most of the carriers in US tend to push either iPhone or android phones.

Not sure why, but my guess is that the carriers make more money when selling iPhone or android phone.

[fermat-au]

Originally Posted by Jaro65

What the heck is Bada and why is it even tracked?

As other have said Bada is a phone OS developed by Samsung. It you look at the whole World, link, then click Download all market shares here for the PDF, you see that while Bada has 0% in the US it is a little more popular in Europe, 6.5% in France. So World wide it is valid to track Bada.

[olowott]

The Chart board looks really funny

like hmmmmm, are u sure???

[fermat-au]

Originally Posted by TC03

The difference between US and Europe can be addressed to subsidizing, I think in Europe the price difference between iPhone and high-end devices from competitors is >€200,- while in the US it's no more than $100 (€80). Give or take.

The main reason that carriers in the US can subsides phones to higher level is that the minimum monthly smart phone plans are so high in the US. I recommend people read Benedict Evans' iPhone pricing and US market share. The 3rd and 4th graphs tell the story.

[Mike MA]

Originally Posted by xlii

Five years ago Rimm was big. Can they ever come back?

With a steadily decreasing support in the business world, which was their prime market, I say no.

[Mr. Retrofire]

Thank you, Open Handset Alliance!

:-)

[Banyan Bruce]

[QUOTE=iphoneclassic;16535457]Powerful and low-cost is impossible.
Apple and low-cost is big no no.

I'm not sure I accept this. A low cost powerful, highly profitable phone is impossible, maybe. So whilst Apple's profits remain so high the status Quo will remain. Clearly, Apple is comfortable playing second fiddle to Android in Europe. In the US, iPhones maybe the dogs testicles, but in Europe they are rapidly becoming just an expensive phone. They're good but not that good.

[Mr. Retrofire]

Originally Posted by CHRIST DENN

Definitely! There's a big market for 4.5"-5.5" smartphones.

Bigger is better. ;-)

[fermat-au]

Originally Posted by TC03

HTC One X or Galaxy S III aren't mid-end, they're high-end, and they're much cheaper than the iPhone 5. This is a real threat, take Europe as an example. Android phones are much cheaper there, and as a consequence the iPhone is less popular.

Apple's profit in the US is largely dependent on AT&T and Verizon. That's a bit scary.

Very true. In a true free market Android/iOS market share would be very different. See Benedict Evans' iPhone pricing and US market share.

I'm in Australia. I just looked at the Vodafone site.
iPhone 5 - $66/m
S III - $50/m

$16 times 24 months = $384.
The higher cost of the iPhone is being passed on to the consumer.

[SlCKB0Y]

Originally Posted by Ryth

If the subsidized model goes away, all phone prices will go up. I mean its still the whole would you buy a SGS3 for $600 or the iPhone 5 for $650...is $50 going to stop someone from buying an Apple device? For me and many others ...nope.

In Australia we have carrier subsidised iPhones:

$0 upfront payment and $6/mo payment towards the phone
http://www.vodafone.com.au/personal/.../home/iphone-5

And iPhone managed less than 30% market share. iPhone's success in the US isn't solely down to subsidising.

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Originally Posted by Ryth

MS is fighting for 2nd place. I think as they refine the Surface and WP, they will move into 2nd place over Android. Android is just way too fragmented.

Firstly, Android is usually in first place in the US and will be again soon once the iPhone 5 hype dies down.

Secondly...Really? You think that the issue of "fragmentation" (which in reality isn't a issue in day-to-day use) is going to cause Windows overtake Android?

Go up to your average consumer and ask them "so how do you feel about the reported fragmentation issues on Android and how will that affect your next purchase?". Then observe the blank expression on their face and awkward silence that results.

The average consumer will have no idea what you are talking about.

Also, how can you talk about Android's supposed "fragmentation" and Windows in the same sentence whilst keeping a straight face? Windows is far more fragmented.

We have Intel Windows which can run both WinRT and legacy Apps. Then we have Windows RT on ARM which has a desktop (??) but this is only for Office. All others run the in "the Interface Formerly Known as Metro". These WinRT apps need to scale from a 30" monitor down to a 10" tablet whilst running on windows across literally millions of different hardware combinations and two different architectures. Then we have Windows Phone 8, whose Apps are compatible with non of the above.

[Morshu9001]

Terrible news! Everyone sell now!

[fermat-au]

Originally Posted by TechieGeek

This data is worthless. Why even publish statistics like this? Of course Apple will sell lots of product in the month right after their new phone launch. Of course they will sell more than any other phone right after the iPhone 5 is released.

You can't interpret these numbers as "new high with 53.3% of smartphone market" when all they show is that Apple sold more iPhones than Android phones after the new iPhone was released.

In other news, Thanksgiving turkey has record sales in the week before thanksgiving and holds 50% of pie food sales when compared to cheesecake.

I wouldn't say worthless, I would say, needs to be ead in context, but you make a very important point: Apple ships one new phone per year and consumers know this. iPhone sales spike in the few months after a launch.

These stats are based on 12 weeks of sales ending 25 Nov 2012 The iPhone 5 started shipping 21 Sep 2012, so the stats include the first two months of iPhone 5 sales. The iPhone 4S shipped 14 Oct 2011, 3 weeks "later" so the comprehending 12 weeks of sales in 2011 included 44 days of the new iPhone compared to 65 days of the new iPhone this year.

What we need is a graph plotting the percentages over time for the last few years, to tell the true story.

[fermat-au]

Originally Posted by unlinked

It is a rolling 12 week period but for 2012 it has 9 weeks of iPhone5 sales compared to 6 weeks of iPhone 4S sales in 2011. An increased sales share doesn't really have to mean anything changed. A 2 or 3 year graph of the data would be more useful.

I just made a post making the exact some points

Has anyone made 2 or 3 year graphs?

[SlCKB0Y]

Originally Posted by KdParker

What window8 update fiasco?

Either way, I just think MS needs some marketing for there phones. Most people that have them tend to love em.

The fact that a few months after Nokia's flagship Lumia 900 went to market Microsoft announced that their new Windows 8 OS would not work on any existing Windows 7 phones regardless of how powerful the hardware was?

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Originally Posted by newagemac

Google's stock has been stuck in the mud for the past couple of years because the more people move away from browsing on the web to doing on mobile devices, the less money they make.

How's Apple's share price done over the last year buddy? And what does Google's share price have to do with Android market share?

[SlCKB0Y]

Originally Posted by TC03

That's because Android is moving into low-end and mid-end, replacing the good old Nokias. Apple is in the high-end market, I'm certain Android does not have 72% market share in that market.

"I'm certain, but i've got nothing factual to base this on except for my gut instincts and you should all take this as fact"

----------

Originally Posted by mrhick01

If you refuse to accept the numbers, simply look at Apple's sales and profits. Year-to-year, when looking at a quarter, they are increasing.

The worldwide smartphone market is also increasing and so Apple needs to increase sales by a greater percentage just to maintain their overall marketshare. Eg:

Suppose one year 10 people buy a smartphone, of which 5 are Apple. The next year 20 people buy smartphones and Apple sell 9. They have nearly doubled their sales but they have lost market share.

[sinsin07]

Originally Posted by winston1236

Android has 72% of world marketshare and apple has 14%. I would hardly consider that something to celebrate. Or did everyone miss last week when google officially declared victory over apple.

Victory is determined by dollar signs.

It would be interesting to know how much Google makes off of Android as opposed to how much Apple makes on just the iPhone.

Android may be the dominant platform but for the individual handset players, all is not equal.

[SlCKB0Y]

Originally Posted by patentlawyer

What does this have to do with this story?

I believe they are putting things in perspective regarding that small and insignificant area that isn't the US. You know... the rest of the world?

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Originally Posted by stockscalper

So they pick the time frame when the new iPhone is released? Why not go back to when the Galaxy III came out and compare sales with the iPhone? The picture would be totally different.

You don't even need to go back that far. In the quarter before iPhone 5 came out one Android phone (the Galaxy S3) outsold the iPhone 4S worldwide.

[HishamAkhtar]

Originally Posted by Rogifan

You forgot marketing. Go to any shopping mall and Galaxy is advertised everywhere. Same thing on TV. Every other commercial I see is for an S3 or Note. Sporting events, award shows, TV shows, concerts all sponsored by Samsung Galaxy. The amount of advertising Samsung has spent on the Galaxy line has certainly helped it increase market share. Though Morgan Stanley analysts claim Samsung is taking share from other Android OEM's more so than from Apple.

So? Apple markets as well. And Samsung initially took market share from other Android devices but Apple's solidity in the market has definitely been shook and disappointments in the form of iP4S and iP5 haven't helped. Apple is still on top but the gap is much, much smaller IMO.

[LagunaSol]

The problem is obvious: this forum needs more Android missionaries.

[samcraig]

Originally Posted by LagunaSol

The problem is obvious: this forum needs more Android missionaries.

And that some people sound like a broken record...