Apple secures majority of US smartphone market, Samsung dominates Europe
Apple has managed to secure over 50 percent of the American smartphone market but Samsung remains strong in Europe, according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
The research firm says that the iPad and iPhone marker is taking back marketshare from rival Google's Android, managing to grab 53.3 percent of U.S. smartphone sales for the four-month period ending November 25.
Kantar says that this is mainly due to the release of the iPhone 5, which helped boost sales in the United States. During this timeframe, Android's share of the market fell 10.9 percent to 41.9 percent of overall sales, whereas Microsoft's Windows Phone managed to climb 0.6 percent to secure 2.7 percent. Research In Motion claimed only 1.4 percent of the market.
Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, commented:
"Apple has reached a major milestone in the U.S. by passing the 50 percent share mark for the first time, with further gains expected to be made during December."
Where Apple's popularity continues to climb in the U.S., the Android operating system still appears to be the firm favorite in Europe. According to the firm, Android currently possesses 61 percent of the European market, up from 51.8 percent a year ago.
The popularity of the Android OS in Europe is placed at rival firm Samsung's feet, who is the largest distributor of Android-based smartphones. The research firm says that Samsung continues to be the number one smartphone manufacturer in Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain with an overall share of 44.3 percent. Apple holds just over a quarter of the smartphone market, whereas rivals HTC, Sony and Nokia all jostle for the third position.
Sunnebo continued:
"Although Windows sales in the U.S. remain subdued, Nokia is managing to claw back some of its share in Great Britain through keenly priced Lumia 800 and 610 prepay deals. The next period will prove crucial in revealing initial consumer reactions to the Nokia 920 and HTC Windows 8X devices."
Nokia may be trying to make headway in Britain by offering prepaid deals, but Kantar says that the iGeneration isn't necessarily biting.
"Over the past six months, just 28 percent of Nokia Lumia 800 sales have come from under 35's, compared with 42 percent of all smartphone sales. With the Nokia Lumia 920 being one of the few handsets available on EE 4G, new tariffs may help to change this by attracting early adopters in the coming months."
Kantar compiles its data through consumer panels across 12 countries.