iPhone Market Share Continues to Grow in China and Europe

The new smartphone sales data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech says that the iPhone continues to grow market share in Europe and in China.

The Apple iPhone continues its sales momentum from Q4 2015 according to the new Kantar Worldpanel ComTech smartphone sales report for Q1 2015. In Europe’s five largest countries the iPhone reached a 20.3% share, 1.8% higher than in 2014. Europe’s big five markets are Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

“In the first quarter of 2015, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus continued to attract consumers across Europe, including users who previously owned an Android smartphone,” reported Carolina Milanesi, chief of research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. “On average, across Europe’s big five countries during the first quarter, 32.4% of Apple’s new customers switched to iOS from Android.”

“In urban China, Apple consolidated its leadership in smartphones, growing its share to 26.1%, up from 17.9% for the same period in 2014,” said Tamsin Timpson, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Asia. “Thirty-eight percent of iPhone buyers were recommended an Apple device by someone they know, while 23% recall seeing an ad.” China is now driving more volume for Apple than the U.S., as the Cupertino company reaches beyond the more affluent buyers. In 1Q15, Apple represented 25% of smartphone sales in urban China’s 2,000 to 4,000 RMBs income bracket — a 10.1 percentage point increase from the same period in 2014.

Across Europe, Android’s share declined by 3.1% compared to last year, to 68.4%, as iOS rose by 1.8%. “In Great Britain, while 25.6% of new iOS buyers switched from Android during the quarter, Android’s leadership remains strong, thanks to the price options consumers have in both the contract and prepay market,” said Dominic Sunnebo, business unit director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Europe. “Thirty-five percent of consumers who bought an Android smartphone in 1Q15 said their decision was driven by receiving a good price on the phone. Another 29% said that getting a good deal on the tariff/contract was a factor in their purchase.”

In the U.S., Android reached a market share of 58.1% — a 0.2% gain over 1Q14. “LG had a particularly good first quarter with its share growing to 10.8% from 7.4% a year ago, while Samsung was holding on to second place as it prepared for the launch of its new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge in April,” Milanesi said.

“Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus already represent 18% of all iPhones in use in the U.S., and 64% of the iPhone installed base is an iPhone 5 or newer — good news for the Apple Watch that interacts only with these newer models.”