Android has gained significant market share in key markets.

[apolloa]

Reported today over on Phone Arena, Android has gained 7% market share from Apple and everyone else in the EU5, China and American markets! Well done them, I think a lot more high end Android handsets are coming out now. Apple is just seemingly regurgitating it's same design and I suspect people are getting bored of it:

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Andr...nd-Windows-Phones-market-shares-slide_id80972

Has Android 'won' the ongoing boxing match with iOS, its arch-adversary? Technically, iOS may be a faster and more nimble athlete, but Android has certainly won by score, and what's more, its supporters over the world keep growing! Kantar Worldpanel's mobile OS market share data for Q1 2016 shows Android's market share in the EU5 (Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) region gained 7.1% to reach 75.6%. In America, the robot saw a 7.3% increase to 65.5%, and China's Android share grew by 6% to over 77%.

To say Andy the droid is doing fine would be an understatement, considering it's got more than half the market in those places all for him. Kantar's Lauren Guenveur agrees, pointing out that not only has the OS seen its strongest growth across the EU5 in over two years, but the uprising is driven by different brands and ecosystems specific to those regions.

Meanwhile, iOS' share declined in the EU and China, and one-time Windows Phone users steadily switched to Android, for Google's OS has offered "a better user experience with a variety of brands and models across a multitude of price points," as noted by Kantar's Dominic Sunnebo. Interestingly, users from former Windows strongholds like Italy and France opted for mid-range droids by the likes of Huawei, Wiko, and Asus, while Britons were hot for Samsung's affordable J5 and A5 handsets.

Although high-end smartphone sales are slipping as customers increasingly consider value-oriented options, the Galaxy S7 was still the fifth best-selling device in America, while Motorola increased its market share by nearly 3% thanks to promotions by Verizon. However, Android's hegemony could be threatened by none other than the "potent munchkin" that is the iPhone SE, which could find itself in high demand during the second quarter – particularly in China, where it has the potential to become a successful mid-tier offering.



The full report they quoted is from here:
http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/Android-Share-Growth-is-Highest-in-EU5-in-Over-Two-Years


The latest smartphone OS data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech for the three months ending March 2016 shows Android continuing to grow sales across the EU5, US, and Urban China. There were solid gains in the EU5 (Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain), up 7.1% points to 75.6%. In the US, Android share increased 7.3% points to 65.5%, and in China, it rose nearly 6% points to over 77%.

“This is the strongest growth for Android across the EU5 in more than two years,” said Lauren Guenveur, mobile analyst for Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. “What’s more, the growth is coming not just from one or two players, but from different brands and ecosystems, varying from region to region.”

In the EU5, iOS share declined from 20.2% to 18.9% in the three months ending March 2016. Windows phone sales dropped five percentage points to become 4.9% of overall smartphone sales in the region. Nearly 7% (6.6%) of new Android customers came from Windows, vs. just 3.3% from iOS. Among new iOS buyers, 2.6% migrated from Windows.

“For those switching from Windows, Android has offered a better user experience, with a variety of brands and models across a multitude of price points,” said Dominic Sunnebo, business unit director for Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Europe. “In Italy and France, the strongest Windows Phone markets for a time, nearly 10% of Windows mobile users moved to Android in the three months ending March 2016. What’s more, they opted for brands like Huawei, Wiko, and Asus, featuring mid-range devices that represent good value for the money. Contrast that with Great Britain, where Android growth is still dominated by Samsung, and driven in this period by mid-range devices like the J5 and A5.”

Android’s gains in the US came from increased sales by ecosystem partners Samsung, Motorola, and LG.

“Although it was available for only a few weeks during this sales period, the Samsung Galaxy S7 was the fifth best-selling device in the three months ending March 2016, capturing 4.2% of sales,” Guenveur said. “The Galaxy S6 also performed well, due to price reductions before the S7’s release. Motorola experienced higher sales, particularly with Verizon, and grew to 9.8% of the smartphone market, up from 6.9% a year previously.”

“In Urban China, iOS continued to decline to 21.1% in the three months ending March 2016, down from 26.1% in the same period a year ago. Android had its best year-on-year growth since the three-month period ending October 2014, moving up 5.9% points year-on-year to 77.7%,” said Tamsin Timpson, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Asia. “Huawei continued to expand, reaching its highest purchase share so far, at 24.6%. This has been driven by the high-end Mate 8 and the value-tier Honor 5X. Oppo, traditionally known as a value-tier brand, reached 6.5% of smartphone sales, increasing most significantly in the ¥2,000 to

“In EU5, share growth from the Samsung Galaxy S7 – expected to be one of the most popular phones of the year – has not yet occurred. As the impact of the S7 materializes, it may change the nature and path of the Android market,” Guenveur added.

“Android share could also be negatively affected by high demand for the Apple iPhone SE. iPhone SE sales will be particularly important in China, where success in the mid-tier will determine the top player in the region. These factors should play out further in the next quarter,” she noted.

 

[The Game 161]

Great to see

Comp is awesome. Apple needed the kick up the backside

 

[apolloa]

Great to see

Comp is awesome. Apple needed the kick up the backside

Yes they do, but it seems that the iPhone 7 from all the rumours being reported isn't going to be anything special, I think they will lose more market share over the next year and thus sales and thus it's share price will drop further. But we will have to wait and see.

 

[jamezr]

Great to see

Comp is awesome. Apple needed the kick up the backside

Apple has it in them to do some great things. Hopefully this and the other recent market share and profits loss will spur them to kick it in high gear.

 

[I7guy]

It's like saying soccer fans outnumber football fans...

 

[jamezr]

Yes they do, but it seems that the iPhone 7 from all the rumours being reported isn't going to be anything special, I think they will lose more market share over the next year and thus sales and thus it's share price will drop further. But we will have to wait and see.

Agreed...If rumors of more of the same for the IP7 are true. I think we will see the iphone lose more sales and market share. I think we will see phone makers like Huawei and Xiaomi gain more ground as well. The smartphone space is getting really crowded right now. Technology has caught with smartphones so that to separate and make headway.....companies really have to distinguish themselves from the pack.

 

[tbayrgs]

Apple has it in them to do some great things. Hopefully this and the other recent market share and profits loss will spur them to kick it in high gear.

This^. Many members here tout how competition is great but an ever increasing Android OS market share doesn't fit that scenario, IMO. We have such capable Anroid software and terrific hardware choices predominantly because of the push to catch and surpass what the iPhone offered. We need a strong Apple AND a strong Samsung, Google, Huawei, etc, to keep driving the market to improve. One side dominating isn't good for us consumers. Android's dominating presence in Europe has already garnered the wrath of the EU and outcome of that legal battle I fear is going to hamper Google's presence and ultimately, our user experience with either restriction or even worse, Google deciding to give a 'big FU' to the EU and reduce it's presence.

I'm glad companies like Samsung have turned around their mobile business and the Apple has take a proverbial swift kick in the backside this past (and likely upcoming few) quarters as they needed some perspective. I just hope they get the message, because Microsoft and Blackberry have proven they don't have a clue.

 

[epicrayban]

This^. Many members here tout how competition is great but an ever increasing Android OS market share doesn't fit that scenario, IMO. We have such capable Anroid software and terrific hardware choices predominantly because of the push to catch and surpass what the iPhone offered. We need a strong Apple AND a strong Samsung, Google, Huawei, etc, to keep driving the market to improve. One side dominating isn't good for us consumers. Android's dominating presence in Europe has already garnered the wrath of the EU and outcome of that legal battle I fear is going to hamper Google's presence and ultimately, our user experience with either restriction or even worse, Google deciding to give a 'big FU' to the EU and reduce it's presence.

I'm glad companies like Samsung have turned around their mobile business and the Apple has take a proverbial swift kick in the backside this past (and likely upcoming few) quarters as they needed some perspective. I just hope they get the message, because Microsoft and Blackberry have proven they don't have a clue.

I hope so, too.

Like I've said before, there is a lesson here, especially for those who only want to look at sales/profits. No one is saying we can't discuss sales or profits or even marketshare. We can create threads about that. But we cannot and should not only judge a phone's user experience by these metrics. That is a mistake tantamount to putting the cart before the horse. There are very obvious clues that we can look at before cracks start to show in the sales/profits to make the sorts of comments about Apple that we've been seeing more rampant lately.

I don't exactly want to say "I told you so" to the likes of those posters around here. Again, real Apple fans will be honest about Apple's shortcomings. We do not need, and should not need sales/profits to tell us these things. Whether sales are good or bad, we can discuss a phone's objective and subjective qualities versus the competition. Like I've asked before of these posters, how are sales/profits a feature that can be turned on on my iPhone?

I like Tim Cook a lot. And even now, I still wouldn't bet against Apple. I think he's heard the message now. Apple -- a tech company -- should compete at the technology. Tim Cook must know this.

EDIT: Unsure if it was clear that none of this applies to you, Tbayrgs (danggit, I have to always check the spelling of your name!). You know the posters I'm referring to.
[doublepost=1462981977][/doublepost]I actually think this is a good opportunity for those types of posters that inject sales/profits into every conversation about user experience to learn something.

Let me demonstrate by mimicking what usually happens with these posters. This is a perfect example of what not to do when these sorts of positive figures appear:

Imagine if someone says Android needs to improve its software updating process. Or, Android needs to lock down on security. Or whatever other shortcomings that still plague Android that people oft complain about.

And then imagine me coming along and saying, "Well, not only is Android marketshare incredibly dominant, it's increasing YOY! It's gained this percentage and that percentage over the competition! So clearly, millions of users are still buying Android devices across various pricing tiers. This must mean millions of users are satisfied with Android and using it just fine. Essentially, I'm implying Google's success means they're not doing anything wrong and there isn't any urgency for them to change any area of their strategies. In fact, these discussions are just a waste of time!" Etc.

That is, in summary, essentially what the argument is with Apple and sales/profits when discussing the iPhone or iOS' shortcomings. So think about it: what does saying Android's superior marketshare and millions of users do for the shortcomings of Android?

The answer should be clear: absolutely nothing.

 

[ozaz]

Although high-end smartphone sales are slipping as customers increasingly consider value-oriented options, the Galaxy S7 was still the fifth best-selling device in America

What were the top 5?
I can't the info

 

[jamezr]

What were the top 5?
I can't the info

is this what you were looking for?

[doublepost=1462984655][/doublepost]

Let me demonstrate by mimicking what usually happens with these posters. This is a perfect example of what not to do when these sorts of positive figures appear:

Imagine if someone says Android needs to improve its software updating process. Or, Android needs to lock down on security. Or whatever other shortcomings that still plague Android that people oft complain about.

And then imagine me coming along and saying, "Well, not only is Android marketshare incredibly dominant, it's increasing YOY! It's gained this percentage and that percentage over the competition! So clearly, millions of users are still buying Android devices across various pricing tiers. This must mean millions of users are satisfied with Android and using it just fine. Essentially, I'm implying Google's success means they're not doing anything wrong and there isn't any urgency for them to change any area of their strategies. In fact, these discussions are just a waste of time!" Etc.

That is, in summary, essentially what the argument is with Apple and sales/profits when discussing the iPhone or iOS' shortcomings. So think about it: what does saying Android's superior marketshare and millions of users do for the shortcomings of Android?

The answer should be clear: absolutely nothing.

You nailed it! That's why sales should not enter into a technology discussion.

 

[ozaz]

is this what you were looking for?

Not quite. I'm interested in seeing the list of the best-selling devices, not the best-selling vendors.

 

[tbayrgs]

What were the top 5?
I can't the info

is this what you were looking for?

I think the article states the Galaxy S7 itself was the 5th best selling smartphone, not all Samsung devices. I'd be curious to know this a well, figured it was #2 or 3 (depending if they separated 6s and 6s+ sales).

 

[jamezr]

Not quite. I'm interested in seeing the list of the best-selling devices, not the best-selling vendors.

quick google search and I found this......

Sorry can't find the breakdown by model. I am sure the iphone outsells all others though


https://www.strategyanalytics.com/s...nts-decline-3-percent-in-q1-2016#.VzNhbpMrJsM

 

[apolloa]

What were the top 5?
I can't the info

It doesn't really, this is the closet you'll get on that from these reports:

Contrast that with Great Britain, where Android growth is still dominated by Samsung, and driven in this period by mid-range devices like the J5 and A5.”

Android’s gains in the US came from increased sales by ecosystem partners Samsung, Motorola, and LG.

“Although it was available for only a few weeks during this sales period, the Samsung Galaxy S7 was the fifth best-selling device in the three months ending March 2016, capturing 4.2% of sales,” Guenveur said. “The Galaxy S6 also performed well, due to price reductions before the S7’s release. Motorola experienced higher sales, particularly with Verizon, and grew to 9.8% of the smartphone market, up from 6.9% a year previously.”

“In Urban China, iOS continued to decline to 21.1% in the three months ending March 2016, down from 26.1% in the same period a year ago. Android had its best year-on-year growth since the three-month period ending October 2014, moving up 5.9% points year-on-year to 77.7%,” said Tamsin Timpson, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Asia. “Huawei continued to expand, reaching its highest purchase share so far, at 24.6%. This has been driven by the high-end Mate 8 and the value-tier Honor 5X. Oppo, traditionally known as a value-tier brand, reached 6.5% of smartphone sales, increasing most significantly in the ¥2,000 to

“In EU5, share growth from the Samsung Galaxy S7 – expected to be one of the most popular phones of the year – has not yet occurred. As the impact of the S7 materializes, it may change the nature and path of the Android market,” Guenveur added.

 

[ozaz]

It doesn't really, this is the closet you'll get on that from these reports:

Contrast that with Great Britain, where Android growth is still dominated by Samsung, and driven in this period by mid-range devices like the J5 and A5.”

Android’s gains in the US came from increased sales by ecosystem partners Samsung, Motorola, and LG.

“Although it was available for only a few weeks during this sales period, the Samsung Galaxy S7 was the fifth best-selling device in the three months ending March 2016, capturing 4.2% of sales,” Guenveur said. “The Galaxy S6 also performed well, due to price reductions before the S7’s release. Motorola experienced higher sales, particularly with Verizon, and grew to 9.8% of the smartphone market, up from 6.9% a year previously.”

“In Urban China, iOS continued to decline to 21.1% in the three months ending March 2016, down from 26.1% in the same period a year ago. Android had its best year-on-year growth since the three-month period ending October 2014, moving up 5.9% points year-on-year to 77.7%,” said Tamsin Timpson, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Asia. “Huawei continued to expand, reaching its highest purchase share so far, at 24.6%. This has been driven by the high-end Mate 8 and the value-tier Honor 5X. Oppo, traditionally known as a value-tier brand, reached 6.5% of smartphone sales, increasing most significantly in the ¥2,000 to

“In EU5, share growth from the Samsung Galaxy S7 – expected to be one of the most popular phones of the year – has not yet occurred. As the impact of the S7 materializes, it may change the nature and path of the Android market,” Guenveur added.

Thanks. I was mainly thinking the full details may be behind a paywall to which someone has access.

 

[apolloa]

I hope so, too.

Like I've said before, there is a lesson here, especially for those who only want to look at sales/profits. No one is saying we can't discuss sales or profits or even marketshare. We can create threads about that. But we cannot and should not only judge a phone's user experience by these metrics. That is a mistake tantamount to putting the cart before the horse. There are very obvious clues that we can look at before cracks start to show in the sales/profits to make the sorts of comments about Apple that we've been seeing more rampant lately.

I don't exactly want to say "I told you so" to the likes of those posters around here. Again, real Apple fans will be honest about Apple's shortcomings. We do not need, and should not need sales/profits to tell us these things. Whether sales are good or bad, we can discuss a phone's objective and subjective qualities versus the competition. Like I've asked before of these posters, how are sales/profits a feature that can be turned on on my iPhone?

I like Tim Cook a lot. And even now, I still wouldn't bet against Apple. I think he's heard the message now. Apple -- a tech company -- should compete at the technology. Tim Cook must know this.

EDIT: Unsure if it was clear that none of this applies to you, Tbayrgs (danggit, I have to always check the spelling of your name!). You know the posters I'm referring to.
[doublepost=1462981977][/doublepost]

I actually think this is a good opportunity for those types of posters that inject sales/profits into every conversation about user experience to learn something.

Let me demonstrate by mimicking what usually happens with these posters. This is a perfect example of what not to do when these sorts of positive figures appear:

Imagine if someone says Android needs to improve its software updating process. Or, Android needs to lock down on security. Or whatever other shortcomings that still plague Android that people oft complain about.

And then imagine me coming along and saying, "Well, not only is Android marketshare incredibly dominant, it's increasing YOY! It's gained this percentage and that percentage over the competition! So clearly, millions of users are still buying Android devices across various pricing tiers. This must mean millions of users are satisfied with Android and using it just fine. Essentially, I'm implying Google's success means they're not doing anything wrong and there isn't any urgency for them to change any area of their strategies. In fact, these discussions are just a waste of time!" Etc.

That is, in summary, essentially what the argument is with Apple and sales/profits when discussing the iPhone or iOS' shortcomings. So think about it: what does saying Android's superior marketshare and millions of users do for the shortcomings of Android?

The answer should be clear: absolutely nothing.

So your post is confusing, are you saying we should not be allowed, or not post threads about market share? I mean it does really tell you Apple's loss of sales is Androids gain in sales.
Market share is totally relevant when it comes to this site as this site posts regular story's about it, so it has been mixed in with talk about technology on this site.

So whilst it may not be proving if people are more satisfied with Android, not that this was put across as the reason for my thread in any way shape or form, it does show more people have preferred it over Apple recently, and we all know Apple has LOST sales recently.

 

[I7guy]

So your post is confusing, are you saying we should not be allowed, or not post threads about market share? I mean it does really tell you Apple's loss of sales is Androids gain in sales.
Market share is totally relevant when it comes to this site as this site posts regular story's about it, so it has been mixed in with talk about technology on this site.

So whilst it may not be proving if people are more satisfied with Android, not that this was put across as the reason for my thread in any way shape or form, it does show more people have preferred it over Apple recently, and we all know Apple has LOST sales recently.

Market share is a metric, but how relevant it is to anything is a question. ask Samsung if market share leads to profit and I market alone can sustain a business?

 

[Michael Goff]

I wonder what other tools get people obsessively choosing sides? Is there a hammer brand that people do this with? How about screw drivers? Wrenches?

 

[Surf Donkey]

I wonder what other tools get people obsessively choosing sides? Is there a hammer brand that people do this with? How about screw drivers? Wrenches?

Well I am sure people can be found obsessively justifying their purchase for just about anything in the consumer world. The higher the expense, the more the obsession most likely.

But the fact is 99% of people just don't care. They just buy what they like, what rated highest in consumer reports, what they saw in a commercial, the sales person told them, etc, and it just ends there. But you won't find them spending time on forums discussing it either.

 

[Michael Goff]

Well I am sure people can be found obsessively justifying their purchase for just about anything in the consumer world. The higher the expense, the more the obsession most likely.

But the fact is 99% of people just don't care. They just buy what they like, what rated highest in consumer reports, what they saw in a commercial, the sales person told them, etc, and it just ends there. But you won't find them spending time on forums discussing it either.

Maybe I'm just being a stick in the mud, but I just don't get it. Why does Android have to lose for iOS to be good? Why does Android have to win for it to be good? Same with iOS. And how is either side going to win a race that never ends anyway?

 

[Surf Donkey]

Maybe I'm just being a stick in the mud, but I just don't get it. Why does Android have to lose for iOS to be good? Why does Android have to win for it to be good? Same with iOS. And how is either side going to win a race that never ends anyway?

Purchase confirmation bias. I really don't think it is anything more than that. People want their "brand" to be the best to justify their expenses. They want to be proud of the device they spent a lot of money on. They want their friends to be jealous. Especially when smartphones are essentially the same these days, it take one "losing" for theirs to be the best.

Just like politics, it is truly a race that never ends.

 

[samcraig]

Market share is a metric, but how relevant it is to anything is a question. ask Samsung if market share leads to profit and I market alone can sustain a business?

Profit (alone) isn't a winning strategy. Not long term.

But you said it yourself - you are engaging in an Apples to Oranges discussion. The conversation is about marketshare. Not about profits. It's not about Samsung's business model.

 

[epicrayban]

So your post is confusing, are you saying we should not be allowed, or not post threads about market share? I mean it does really tell you Apple's loss of sales is Androids gain in sales.
Market share is totally relevant when it comes to this site as this site posts regular story's about it, so it has been mixed in with talk about technology on this site.

So whilst it may not be proving if people are more satisfied with Android, not that this was put across as the reason for my thread in any way shape or form, it does show more people have preferred it over Apple recently, and we all know Apple has LOST sales recently.

Very sorry if my post was confusing. My points had very little to do with you. I merely used this opportunity to give an example of what other posters do with metrics like these (sales/profits, marketshare, etc.).

To answer your question... of course we can discuss sales and profits and marketshare, to our heart's content. For example, in this thread of yours, marketshare is worth discussing because of the latest findings. You're not interjecting "marketshare" in another thread or in another conversation discussing Android's shortcomings, and then using that as some form of defense.

Unfortunately, others use this tactic far too often when it comes to discussing Apple and the iPhone. Except the metric they use is Apple's superior sales and profits as if somehow that explains away any discussion we have about the iPhone's shortcomings. If anyone says that Apple should perhaps compete faster/harder given the rising competition, that too, inevitably, gets the usual suspects saying that the superior and record-breaking sales and profits of iPhones show that an X number of users are content with the iPhone and that Apple can just continue doing what they do.

It should now be abundantly clear to these types of posters that those that were calling for Apple to do more and compete harder before the latest sales quarter were right. They were right to call Apple out on all these shortcomings. We don't have to wait for sales/profits to suffer to start coming to terms with what others here have already been observing and warning about.

And more importantly, this applies whether sales/profits are good or bad.

That's all. So again, sorry if you felt any of my post was directed at you starting this thread. Not the case. Happy to discuss marketshare in a thread about marketshare.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I think it's an encouraging sign to be honest. Apple are under pressure to deliver this year not next and they have quite a leap to make. The latest Android offerings have got me interested and I'm quite keen to find a cheaper handset this time around.

 

[apolloa]

Very sorry if my post was confusing. My points had very little to do with you. I merely used this opportunity to give an example of what other posters do with metrics like these (sales/profits, marketshare, etc.).

To answer your question... of course we can discuss sales and profits and marketshare, to our heart's content. For example, in this thread of yours, marketshare is worth discussing because of the latest findings. You're not interjecting "marketshare" in another thread or in another conversation discussing Android's shortcomings, and then using that as some form of defense.

Unfortunately, others use this tactic far too often when it comes to discussing Apple and the iPhone. Except the metric they use is Apple's superior sales and profits as if somehow that explains away any discussion we have about the iPhone's shortcomings. If anyone says that Apple should perhaps compete faster/harder given the rising competition, that too, inevitably, gets the usual suspects saying that the superior and record-breaking sales and profits of iPhones show that an X number of users are content with the iPhone and that Apple can just continue doing what they do.

It should now be abundantly clear to these types of posters that those that were calling for Apple to do more and compete harder before the latest sales quarter were right. They were right to call Apple out on all these shortcomings. We don't have to wait for sales/profits to suffer to start coming to terms with what others here have already been observing and warning about.

And more importantly, this applies whether sales/profits are good or bad.

That's all. So again, sorry if you felt any of my post was directed at you starting this thread. Not the case. Happy to discuss marketshare in a thread about marketshare.

I got you now! I understand where your coming from, market share doesn't make up for a platforms short comings.