Android further expands global dominance in Q4, but stumbles in U.S. again
Share:
We already gave you the U.S. numbers, courtesy of Kantar Research, but elsewhere, Android is pretty much the sole leader with iOS only a distant second. And Windows Phone still only has a marginal presence with a few exceptions like Italy where it has surprisingly captured a 13.9% of the market. This is what the latest statistics for the 12-week period ending December 2012, released by researchers from Kantar Worldpanel Comtech show. Kantar's data is based on thousands of surveys across the globe.
First, the United States, though. The U.S. market continues to be the exception on the global scene as the iPhone manages to outsell Android and keep a healthy growth momentum. Japan is also one such market where the iPhone has an even larger share advantage compared to the Android crowd.
Europe and the rest of Asia, though? The complete opposite. Looking at Europe’s five biggest markets, Android outsells the iPhone more than two times. In Spain, Apple’s share has fallen to 6.4% while Android holds a whopping 86.4% hold of the market. Urban China is also an Android stronghold with 72.5% of phones there running Google’s operating system.
 |
Share:
Despite record number of smartphone activations, Verizon loses $1.93 billion 
Verizon activated 6.2 million iPhones of 9.8 million total smartphones 
-
Stay tuned for our coverage of Samsung's Galaxy & ATIV event today
-
Screenshots from Sony Xperia ZU prototype confirm specs
-
Microsoft and Nokia reportedly end merger negotiations
-
First phone with flexible screen coming by the end of the year
-
Huawei Ascend D2 surprisingly scores as best 1080p LCD display, beats HTC One, Sony Xperia Z
-
HTC Butterfly S is announced
33 Comments
6. Whateverman posted on 22 Jan 2013, 08:15 10
Ouch! Com'on now, iOS users are not dumb at all. We may not understand why the like this device as they do, but they are intelligent people who simply disagree with our platform choice. Give em' a break.
8. MeoCao (unregistered) posted on 22 Jan 2013, 08:20 4
I don't believe the numbers, if iPhones are doing so well why there are heavy discounts?
11. kevv2288 posted on 22 Jan 2013, 08:30 8
Maybe some of them don't like android but the vast majority have never tried a android phone. They Immediately want a iPhone just because its a "iPhone" and all their friends have one, so they have to have one too
20. buccob posted on 22 Jan 2013, 09:51 4
Like I posted on a much older article.... US Americans got to taste Android in the beginnings, and to be honest, it was not a nice experience... it wasn't appealing enough for me to switch from a Blackberry! Can you believe it?... Anyway as time goes by, Americans grew out of "love" for android and turn back to their easy and comfy iOS....
But later, Google quickly changed the rules of the game and Android evolved incredibly fast past iOS and the REST of the WORLD now paid attention, and it was then when popularity started to increase...
In my country Blackberries where a huge trend a while ago.... but people started to realize how much they sucked compared to even 2 years old Android handset and iPhones... so here I believe it is a little bit even... but more incline towards Android..
23. donfem posted on 22 Jan 2013, 10:28 1
Exactly
22. Doakie posted on 22 Jan 2013, 10:04 2
I often call iOS users computer illiterate. Because every one I've met doesn't know what a File Manager is, let alone understand what an open or closed file system is; the fact that they can live their lives without access to their files makes me very disappointed in them. I bought an iPad 2 when it came out to try our iOS and I couldn't stand the lack of control I had over my files. I sold it on Craigslist 6 months later because it was gathering too much dust for how valuable it was. I don't think iOS users are dumb all day everyday they just made a dumb choice on their phone purchase.
30. darkkjedii posted on 22 Jan 2013, 17:27 1
Excellent post whateverman. Y do they have to b dumb for exercising their freedom of choice.
34. funnyguy posted on 23 Jan 2013, 04:46 0
The reason why I have an Ipad is because ios devices seem to be faster and smoother than android ones.
Another reason is the fact that the ipad has more apps than any android device, plus the apps seems to be optimised for tablets witch shows that the company pays atention to details.
Gaming is another reason why I chose ios, faster releases, more exclusive titles, better performance than any other tablet.
Plus the design of the devices is amazing, great materials and very often apple will bring the latest technology first compared to the other brands, for example ios users were enjoying retina quality display 2 years before the nexus 10 came.
If ios was open source like android then any tablet-phone manufactor would chose ios over android any day.
Ios is far more capable than android, is just apples decisions of keeping it close and their money mentality that ruins the show.
9. MartyK posted on 22 Jan 2013, 08:22 1
You stand corrected, some people, in some country, a lot of us are very technically intelligent when it comes to O.S :)
12. Whateverman posted on 22 Jan 2013, 08:39 1
Ok that's true, but the same can be said for Android users as well.
18. buccob posted on 22 Jan 2013, 09:32 0
Like History Channel's Giorgio A. Tsoukalos would say...(( "Aliericans" ))
19. andro. posted on 22 Jan 2013, 09:41 2
I see it day in day out in sales,the iphone 5 is a slow seller compared the the likes the the xperia t,galaxy s3,one x plus etc. Only in the US has Apple maintained any sales contest.
26. sudbury78 posted on 22 Jan 2013, 10:52 0
Dumbest ignorant statement in the history of phone arena. Congrats.
29. Shino posted on 22 Jan 2013, 17:07 0
If your mother was that dumb, no wonder that you are a worthy heir!
32. Jonathan41 posted on 22 Jan 2013, 18:29 0
iFetishism is still running ramped in the US but, the numbers show that the majority of smartphone owners around the world prefer Android. And the numbers reflect that because their not being spoon fed iMarketing from Apple. I think that means a lot more than a very small lead in the US alone.
2. kevv2288 posted on 22 Jan 2013, 08:08 13
In the US every teenage/college girl has a iphone.They are all dumb and just copy each other thinking they're cool if they have a iPhone
3. brar.arsh posted on 22 Jan 2013, 08:11 13
In Spain it's 86.4% Android.. Now that's a Huuuggeeee one..
13. iPone.Lost.Momentum posted on 22 Jan 2013, 08:48 1
2013 WILL be REMEMBERED as iPhone seeing it's PEAK
HERE is from one of the BIGGEST APPLE TROLL. Verified by BetaNews
betanews.com/2013/01/18/i-cant-believe-i-switched-from-iphone-5-to-galaxy-note-ii/
5. _Bone_ posted on 22 Jan 2013, 08:13 2
The US market is the hardest nut to crack. They like keeping things simple, American and trusted which are true to iPhones over Android's internationalism, customization and different SW which scares them a little. But trying out any 2012-13 droid should do the trick, you can enjoy the content much better on these and that will ultimately win over.
10. RaKithAPeiRiZ posted on 22 Jan 2013, 08:22 1
problem is some people buy Apple thinking its all 'Murican ,
16. speckledapple posted on 22 Jan 2013, 09:19 0
True but even that may not last forever as there are issues in how Apple can attack Android. Obviously the war in the courts have not slowed the expansion at all. I think Apple will need to do more with its software in order to maintain its position in those two markets. Its a very strong brand that will continue to remain solid but Android really has only gotten better with both tech and software.
Now with even more players like Win Phone 8 and BB10, things may get even more complicated.
14. Nathan_ingx posted on 22 Jan 2013, 08:57 2
Now why is the word 'Stumble' always associated with US??
15. rusticguy posted on 22 Jan 2013, 09:02 4
Japan has higher advantage. hmmm the other day in a story on PA actual store surveys showed NEXUS7 outsold ipad. Confusing isn't it ... why would people invest in 2 different ecosystems :)
21. Nathan_ingx posted on 22 Jan 2013, 09:52 1
...that was sarcasm, incase you didn't get it :)
33. charms55 posted on 22 Jan 2013, 22:46 0
There are tons of table options in Japan, including now Kindle. Most are readers for Japanese lit and periodicals, and Android tablets abound. And while Mac is important, unlike other markets, the Smarphones (iPhones) in Japan are a recent development. The shelves are lined with every variety of Android phone, and Phablets are quite popular, with people grabbing 5" and more, so this is really a wide open market. I don't think they think in ecosystems the way others are. Phones are much more integrated into the society and have been for much longer.
17. darac posted on 22 Jan 2013, 09:21 1
Now I'm interested in seeing the overall current state of the market..this is just for a 12 week period.
Given that Android again lead the way far ahead, I'd expect over 70 % of global installed base.iOS should have about 20, while symbian should still hold the third place IMO
25. Aeires (unregistered) posted on 22 Jan 2013, 10:42 1
What's more important to me isn't how much market share Android has taken, but how efficient the OS has become these past two years. My N4 always exceeds my expectations, and the best is yet to come. 2013 will be the year Android on tablets gets traction and finally takes off like it should.
27. wildcard posted on 22 Jan 2013, 11:01 3
only the dork will buy the same phone for the last 4 years in a roll
28. cripton805 posted on 22 Jan 2013, 13:30 1
I think the US just doesnt care what they own as long as it looks good and functions to surf the web, calling, and texting.
