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Apple and Samsung Continue to Dominate U.S. Smartphone Usage Share

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Apr 12, 2001
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ComScore today released the results of its monthly rolling survey of U.S. mobile phone users for the October-December 2013 period, showing that Apple's U.S. smartphone market share has increased 1.2 percentage points since September, for a total share of 41.8 percent. Though Apple's share continues to grow, it still lags behind Android's total share of 51.5 percent, down 0.3 percent since September.

Looking at handset manufacturers, Apple and Samsung continue to dominate the category, growing their control of the market by 1.2 percent each over the three month period. Motorola, LG and HTC round out the top five, with all of them seeing flat or negative growth.

In Apple's earnings call last month, CEO Tim Cook warned that U.S. iPhone sales were weaker than expected because of U.S. carriers changing their upgrade policies. As a result, seeing share growth despite the headwinds is a positive sign for the company.

smartphoneoem.png
156 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones (65.2 percent mobile market penetration) during the three months ending in December, up 3.2 percent since September. Apple ranked as the top OEM with 41.8 percent of U.S. smartphone subscribers (up 1.2 percentage points from September). Samsung ranked second with 26.1 percent market share (up 1.2 percentage points), followed by Motorola with 6.7 percent, LG with 6.6 percent and HTC with 5.7 percent.
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smartphoneplatforms.png

Apple grew its smartphone market share by 0.6 percent from November, largely at the expense of Android and BlackBerry. Despite a significant marketing effort, Micrsoft's Windows Mobile has failed to gain any traction over the past three months, dropping 0.2 percent from 3.3% to 3.1% of total platform share.

ComScore's data tracks installed user base rather than new handset sales, which means it is more reflective of real-world usage but slower to respond to shifting market trends than some other studies.

Article Link: Apple and Samsung Continue to Dominate U.S. Smartphone Usage Share
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/02/04/comscore-december-2013/
keysofanxiety

keysofanxiety

macrumors G3
Nov 23, 2011
9,539
25,302
40% + market share is an amazing number, especially considering Apple only sell 3 phones.
 
kdarling

kdarling

macrumors P6
Jun 9, 2007
17,373
5,924
First university coding class = 47 years ago
keysofanxiety said:
40% + market share is an amazing number, especially considering Apple only sell 3 phones.
Click to expand...

Note that this is about total current users, not sales.

So it includes all users of both new and old models, from any maker.

When the source is marked as being from MobiLens, it means it comes from comScore's own collection of 30,000+ long term volunteers who are supposed to be a representative group of users. They constantly report on what devices they use or stop using, how they use them, and so forth.

ComScore follows these same people for years and years, instead of surveying a small random group each time.

This is why these stats change more slowly than other brief snapshots of sales or browser stats. This data reflects a real life, fairly static group of people who have to deal with two year contracts, upgrade eligibility, family financials, and so forth.

.
 
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K

Konrad9

macrumors 6502a
Feb 23, 2012
575
64
Year/year market-share is much more interesting and indicative than just a few months.
 
N

newagemac

macrumors 68020
Mar 31, 2010
2,091
23
Android's marketshare in the U.S. just keeps on dropping and this is the most important market because it is the highest spending one. I'm not surprised. Just about everyone I text, I get the blue iMessage indicator. It will be interesting to see what happens when phones are no longer subsidized here though. Android does much better in cheap markets.
 
pgiguere1

pgiguere1

macrumors 68020
May 28, 2009
2,167
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Montreal, Canada
Graph version:
Screen%20Shot%202014-02-04%20at%2013.32.51.png


This falls in line with the recent report from Counterpoint Technology Market that Apple is continually increasing its share of premium (>$400) phones, considering mostly premium phones are sold in the US thanks to the carrier contracts and subsidies.

Apple reportedly increased its share from 35% to 65% in just one year, and that graph doesn't even fully represent it yet. In the mean time, Samsung dropped from 40% to 21%. That's bad for them because their expensive phones (Galaxy S and Note series) were the ones generating profits.
 
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A

Alumeenium

macrumors regular
May 15, 2013
200
68
looks like divesting Motorola was pretty smart for Google

unfortunately the market is saturated in most 1st world countries

incremental updates rather than innovation will be the new norm

yawn :( I think I'll go for a walk outside…
 
A

agsystems

macrumors 65816
Aug 1, 2013
1,199
1,140
newagemac said:
Android's marketshare in the U.S. just keeps on dropping and this is the most important market because it is the highest spending one. I'm not surprised. Just about everyone I text, I get the blue iMessage indicator. It will be interesting to see what happens when phones are no longer subsidized here though. Android does much better in cheap markets.
Click to expand...

I don't think subsidies will be a problem for Apple - all programs JUMP, NEXT, Sprint ONEUP include monthly payments if you do not want or can't afford the full list price of the phone.

The phone will be paid in full by somebody - Apple will get their money regardless of any plan its implemented by the carriers.
 
Popeye206

Popeye206

macrumors 68040
Sep 6, 2007
3,148
836
NE PA USA
Max(IT) said:
Apple is doomed
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Darn…. I was going to say that! :D

Apple just needs to speed up the larger iPhone delivery date. I keep hoping they will surprise us with something new soon… iPhone, iWatch, iToaster, MaxiPad, iDoorknob… anything! I hate waiting until fall for new toys. :)
 
2

2457282

Suspended
Dec 6, 2012
3,327
3,015
pgiguere1 said:
Graph version:
Image

This falls in line with the recent report from Counterpoint Technology Market that Apple is continually increasing its share of premium (>$400) phones, considering mostly premium phones are sold in the US thanks to the carrier contracts and subsidies.

Apple reportedly increased its share from 35% to 65% in just one year, and that graph doesn't even fully represent it yet. In the mean time, Samsung dropped from 40% to 21%. That's bad for them because their expensive phones (Galaxy S and Note series) were the ones generating profits.
Click to expand...

I have been wondering when the pundits and market watchers will stop placing all smartphones into a single category. I think that like you stated, we really need to compare phones in the premium market (>$400), separately from the mid-market ($200-$400), and the lower-end market (<$200). As you stated, in the premium market, Apple and its iPhones rule. In the mid and lower market, Android and specifically Samsung rule. Because the lower and mid market are larger by nature, combining all the markets together skew things in Androids favor. But in reality they are different markets with different user base which want different things. From a manufacturing and marketing and an app development perspective, one would approach each market very differently. So I think these overly summarized comparison end up doing a dis-service to everyone.
 
carjakester

carjakester

macrumors 68020
Oct 21, 2013
2,228
55
Midwest
if i look around to see what people have about 50% its usually an iPhone, another 30% is samsung and the last 20% is anything else. at least that is how it is around here.
 
Max(IT)

Max(IT)

Suspended
Dec 8, 2009
8,551
1,662
Italy
Cuban Missles said:
I have been wondering when the pundits and market watchers will stop placing all smartphones into a single category. I think that like you stated, we really need to compare phones in the premium market (>$400), separately from the mid-market ($200-$400), and the lower-end market (<$200). As you stated, in the premium market, Apple and its iPhones rule. In the mid and lower market, Android and specifically Samsung rule. Because the lower and mid market are larger by nature, combining all the markets together skew things in Androids favor. But in reality they are different markets with different user base which want different things. From a manufacturing and marketing and an app development perspective, one would approach each market very differently. So I think these overly summarized comparison end up doing a dis-service to everyone.
Click to expand...
I'll pay you a (virtual) beer !

Comparing iPhones with sub 150$ crappy droid is ridiculous. But that depicts a situation where "Android is growing".
Looking at usage the situation is completely different because iPhone users (as android high end phones users) are actually using their smartphones.
 
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