Most market share studies indicate Android is dominating the mobile OS lscape, but one study from tar rldpanel ComTech suggests otherwise. It reports that Apple’s iOS was the top-selling smartphone platform in the U.S. during the run-up to tmas.
Upgrades helped Apple in U.S.
tar attributes to the rise of iOS to three factors. One is the release of the ione 5, since 34 percent of the users surveyed by tar had upgraded from a previous ione, 27 percent upgraded from another smartphone.
First-time smartphone owners, representing 40 percent of new ione owners, helped iOS rise in market share too, the study finds. The wave of new smartphone subscribers led to iOS becoming Verizon’s top-selling OS, as some 44 percent of feature phone users upgraded to an ione, compared to 38 percent on AT&T.
tar rldpanel ComTechen the ione 5 went on sale, older models dropped in price; the ione 4S was priced at $99 the ione 4 was free with a two-year contract. This strategy also contributed to Apple’s jump in U.S. market share from 35.8 percent in November 2011 to 53.3 percent in 2012.
“The ione 5 has been successful this period; however, we also see that Apple’s older models—the ione 4S 4—have also contributed to the growing share of iOS,” said Mary-Ann rlato, tar rldpanel ComTech analyst. “This is particularly the case for first-time smartphone ione buyers where we see the older models still selling well amongst this group.”
Since the tar data examines only U.S. sales, Apple’s rise to the top of the smartphone market share seems more of an exception, not a rule. For example, ComScore’s Mobins report from December 2012 indicates that in the U.S., Android is dominating with 53.6 percent share Apple is a closer second, with a 34.3 percent share. The December stats paint a similar picture. Globally, IDC has found in November that Android accounted for 75 percent of smartphone shipments, while iOS has just 14.9 percent.
