Strong iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Sales Lead to Smartphone Market Share Growth for Apple

[MacRumors]

The latest smartphone sales data released today from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech highlights good news for Apple on the strength of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launch, with Apple gaining share year-over-year in every country surveyed except for Japan.

The report, focusing on the September-November 2014 period, points out that Android market share dropped in most European markets and saw its first decline in the U.S. since September 2013. In the surveyed period, Apple reached 42.5 percent of UK sales, up 12.2 percentage points from the same time in 2013.

In the U.S., the Cupertino-based company's share of smartphone sales grew 4.3 points to reach 47.4 percent of the market, an unsurprising performance given the strong early sales of the company's latest iPhones. More data from Apple on October-December iPhone sales will be announced later this month when the company releases its quarterly earnings report.

Apple's strong performance is being attributed in part to enthusiasm for the redesigned bodies and larger screens of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, with the iPhone 6 leading the smartphone pack during the time period.

"The iPhone 6 was the best selling phone in the three months through November 2014, capturing 19% of smartphone sales", said Milanesi. Verizon and AT&T made up 57% of iOS sales while Verizon and T-Mobile were the top two carriers for Android accounting for 33.7% of all Android smartphones sold.

Despite declines in many markets, Android remains the dominant platform in Europe with 69.9 percent of the market, although that number is down 3.2 percentage points from the same period in 2013. Kantar also notes that customers switching from Android to iOS remained at a steady 18 percent from 2013 to 2014, suggesting Apple's larger-screened phones have yet to represent significant motivation for switchers.

Article Link: Strong iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Sales Lead to Smartphone Market Share Growth for Apple

 

[TopToffee]

I always find it staggering when I see the UK figures.

Maybe it's a geographical thing, but I see infinitely more iPhones out and about than I do Androids.

Though I suppose that could be influenced if iPhone users just spend longer actually USING their phones than Androiders

 

[2457282]

I have noticed that Apple seems to make this kind of progress after each release. However in the other quarters to loses some of the gains as the other vendors continue to release new phones. I am not sure I want to see Apple releasing phones every month, but I also find the huge swing with a peak in Q4 and a valley in Q2 to be a bit disturbing, mostly by the amount difference between the top and bottom of their cycle.

 

[TallManNY]

I always find it staggering when I see the UK figures.

Maybe it's a geographical thing, but I see infinitely more iPhones out and about than I do Androids.

Though I suppose that could be influenced if iPhone users just spend longer actually USING their phones than Androiders

That is right. Many Android phones are bought by folks who don't use their phones very much. It makes sense for those users to save money and buy a slightly gimped product. For the phandroids, I'm not talking about the flagship Androids, I'm talking about the no name smaller devices. Those phones just sit in pockets and you don't see them.

 

[TWSS37]

These numbers mean nothing in 2015.

 

[TallManNY]

I have noticed that Apple seems to make this kind of progress after each release. However in the other quarters to loses some of the gains as the other vendors continue to release new phones. I am not sure I want to see Apple releasing phones every month, but I also find the huge swing with a peak in Q4 and a valley in Q2 to be a bit disturbing, mostly by the amount difference between the top and bottom of their cycle.

There is a cycle, but I think it either ends here or it ends next year around now. The HTC, Samsungs, and Motorolas can't keep spending huge amounts on advertising and development of flagship phones while their profits are dropping. I believe they won't have their same pop with the launch of their flagships in the Spring. Also the 6 is still supply constrained. Smaller local shops do not have it in stock in multiple sizes and colors. So I suspect we will have steadier iPhone 6 sales and not the same great surge in Android sales from release of the Galaxy S6.

I also can't see Lumia creating a great new Windows phone that moves the needle. But Microsoft has the deep pockets to run a loss leader for a few more years before giving up the space. That is probably having the biggest impact in 2015 in Europe because I think that was where Lumia phones sold in decent numbers.

 

[Poisonivy326]

I'm kind of surprised that the USA gains were so small, to be honest. It seemed like everyone that I knew got an iPhone 6.

 

[GeneralChang]

I think the real take-away for me here is "poor Microsoft."

 

[MH01]

I always find it staggering when I see the UK figures.

Maybe it's a geographical thing, but I see infinitely more iPhones out and about than I do Androids.

Though I suppose that could be influenced if iPhone users just spend longer actually USING their phones than Androiders

It would also be very dependent on where you live, hangout, and work in the UK.

I live in London, and definitely see more android devices on a daily commute.

----------

These numbers mean nothing in 2015.

Historical data is not useful for analytics?

 

[lkrupp]

What amazes me is that Apple has chosen to leave the low end to the Android universe and yet commands this kind of market share overall. One would think the high end would limit Apple’s presence to also-ran but the opposite is true.

The only success metric the competition can tout is market share. Apple controls the rest of those metrics by a wide margin. Developers are still, to this day, iOS first and Android later. This is NOT the Windows/Mac debacle of the 90’s in terms of software availability. The talking heads were wrong and the Fandroids here on MacRumors are left with touting the TOTAL OEM output of all manufacturers when making their point.

 

[MH01]

I'm kind of surprised that the USA gains were so small, to be honest. It seemed like everyone that I knew got an iPhone 6.

The USA has a lot of people

 

[KdParker]

I think the real take-away for me here is "poor Microsoft."

MircoSoft is doing it to themselves. They want to play with the big boys by selling the phones at the same price points as some of the other flag ship phones.

MS need to to just flood the market with cheap (zero on contract) phones to build a base following. This Windows Phones is comparable with Android OS IMHO and they just need to build a following. They will take a hit but they need to get in the game somehow.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

I'm kind of surprised that the USA gains were so small, to be honest. It seemed like everyone that I knew got an iPhone 6.

Me too, but most people that I know who got an iPhone got one because I had one. People tend to do what the people around them are doing. So someone who has an Android probably knows lots of people with Androids, while someone with an iPhone tends to know a lot of people with iPhones.

 

[elmateo487]

I think the real take-away for me here is "poor Microsoft."

Which is ironic because of how rich they are.

 

[MH01]

What amazes me is that Apple has chosen to leave the low end to the Android universe and yet commands this kind of market share overall. One would think the high end would limit Apple’s presence to also-ran but the opposite is true.

The only success metric the competition can tout is market share. Apple controls the rest of those metrics by a wide margin. Developers are still, to this day, iOS first and Android later. This is NOT the Windows/Mac debacle of the 90’s in terms of software availability. The talking heads were wrong and the Fandroids here on MacRumors are left with touting the TOTAL OEM output of all manufacturers when making their point.

Apple launched a whole new iphone 6 and Plus, I would have expected Android to take more of a hit for those months. Be interesting to see the same figures in 2015, when apple does a S version, with some gimmick feature. Apple has a tick tock cycle, Release a brand new model and than a modest update the following year, I bet we see an Android growth at the same time next year.

At the end competition is good, a win for both Android and Apple users.

 

[KdParker]

Me too, but most people that I know who got an iPhone got one because I had one. People tend to do what the people around them are doing. So someone who has an Android probably knows lots of people with Androids, while someone with an iPhone tends to know a lot of people with iPhones.

I know both and the main reason is cost since alot of the Android phone owners I know have cheaper (non flagship) phones.

 

[dannyyankou]

Almost #1 in the USA again...

 

[RickInHouston]

What amazes me is that Apple has chosen to leave the low end to the Android universe and yet commands this kind of market share overall. One would think the high end would limit Apple’s presence to also-ran but the opposite is true.

The only success metric the competition can tout is market share. Apple controls the rest of those metrics by a wide margin. Developers are still, to this day, iOS first and Android later. This is NOT the Windows/Mac debacle of the 90’s in terms of software availability. The talking heads were wrong and the Fandroids here on MacRumors are left with touting the TOTAL OEM output of all manufacturers when making their point.

I really don't understand why people post the apple phones are high-end. When I think of high-end I think of expensive and giving me pause when purchasing. Any apple phone can be had for at or below the cost of any 'high-end' android phone. Usually cheaper, in fact. (Here in the US, on contract, of course).

 

[4jasontv]

So, you're saying Android devices are replaced more often?

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

The number that always confuses me is Germany. Why does Android do so well there and iOS do so poorly? I understand in China it's because most people there have relatively little discretionary income so buy cheaper products, but my understanding was Germans were comparable to those in the UK and US in terms of discretionary income. Is there a major German phone manufacturer that many Germans buy out of national pride or something? I thought the major Android manufacturers were all either Asian or US.

 

[dannyyankou]

These numbers mean nothing in 2015.

It's comparing numbers from November 2013 to November 2014. I think thats a fair comparison.

 

[maflynn]

Interesting trend for Window phones. Germany they're increasing marketshare, GB, US and China they're shrinking. What's surprising is that the graph is showing 7% marketshare for them - that's high given how they're performing everywhere else.

 

[PJWilkin]

These numbers mean nothing in 2015.

As does your comment

 

[WannaGoMac]

Wait, but I thought no one wanted a bigger iPhone?

 

[IJ Reilly]

If I'm selling a product, I'd much rather have a declining share of a growing market than a growing share of a declining market. So what is the significance of market share, by itself? Essentially zero.