comScore today released the results of its latest survey of mobile phone usage in the United States, revealing that Apple is quickly approaching a 10% share of the U.S. mobile phone market. Among the top mobile phone manufacturers, Apple led the pack in growth between the three-month period ending in May and the period ending in August, growing by 1.1 percentage point to hit 9.8% of the U.S. market.
Looking specifically at smartphones and measuring platforms instead of manufacturers, Apple checked in at 27.3% of the market, up 0.7% over the prior period but trailing Android's 5.6 percentage point growth.
The reports also highlight the rapid deterioration in Research in Motion's market share. Apple and RIM had been neck and neck in share just four reports ago, covering the February-April 2011 period, but RIM has fallen to under 20% of the smartphone market as Apple has surpassed 27%.
comScore's surveys track installed user base rather than recent sales as tracked by many other firms. As a result, comScore's numbers react more slowly to changing trends in mobile phone sales than shorter-range measures of recent sales. But comScore's numbers would be more accurate reflections of actual consumer usage given typical upgrade cycles on the order of 18 months for average users.
Wednesday September 17, 2025 2:56 pm PDT by Juli Clover
It's been two days since iOS 26 was released, and Apple's new Liquid Glass design is even more divisive than expected.
Any major design change can create controversy as people get used to the new look, but the MacRumors forums, Reddit, Apple Support Communities, and social media sites seem to feature more criticism than praise as people discuss the update.
Complaints
There are a long...
Tuesday September 16, 2025 11:17 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
iOS 26 was finally released on Monday, but the software train never stops, and the first developer beta of iOS 26.1 will likely be released soon.
iOS 18.1 was an anomaly, as the first developer beta of that version was released in late July last year, to allow for early testing of Apple Intelligence features. The first betas of iOS 15.1, iOS 16.1, and iOS 17.1 were all released in the second ...
Wednesday September 17, 2025 4:26 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the MacBook Pro is now several years away, think again.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small ...
Tuesday September 16, 2025 12:26 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple released iOS 26 on September 15, and it's now available for all iPhone users with a compatible device. There are a lot of changes and features to learn about, so if you want a quick, easy-to-read list that outlines what's new, we've got you covered.
Design
Liquid Glass design that reflects light and refracts what's underneath. It's system wide, with dynamic tab bars and toolbars...
Wednesday September 17, 2025 4:55 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
iOS 26's new Liquid Glass interface has been criticized for making some content illegible in certain circumstances, and now the UI design is reportedly causing another unusual visual problem for some users.
Liquid Glass adds subtle glowing effects to the corners of app icons, creating a dynamic glass-like appearance with depth and parallax effects. However, as noted by Gizmodo, this design...
Monday September 15, 2025 10:50 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released updated firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4, introducing support for the new AirPods features that are included in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe.
The firmware has a build number of 8A356, and it replaces the current 7E93 firmware.
With Apple's new software updates, the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4 support better audio quality for phone calls and...
Thursday September 18, 2025 9:17 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions.
The update will have a build number of 23A350, or similar, the account said.
It is likely that iOS 26.0.1 will fix a camera-related bug on the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. In his iPhone Air review, CNN Underscored's Henry T. ...
Well, I can tell you that the Google install base will be going up thanks to me. :D
It's been fun with with my iPhone 3G and iPhone 4, but I think it's time for me to move on to something new. Android here I come. Doesn't anyone feel this way?
You won't know how much Android sucks until you try it for yourself. :-)
While there are many people that feel that way, I know just as many that are ready to come back to the iPhone 4S after owning an Android device.
Well, I can tell you that the Google install base will be going up thanks to me. :D
It's been fun with with my iPhone 3G and iPhone 4, but I think it's time for me to move on to something new. Android here I come. Doesn't anyone feel this way?
No! I use several different Android phones from different manufacturers at work. The battery life is abysmal with all of them. I love the feature in Android that when an app crashes that causes the OS to freeze up I am forced to remove the battery to get it to restart. I guess there is more than one reason to have a removal battery.
Sorry but given my first hand experience with Android phones I have no desire to buy one. And yes I have used the Samsung Galaxy S II.
Well they can kiss that percentage goodbye after yesterdays crappy announcement ...
The thing announced yesterday that will affect the percentage the most is not the new 4S. It's the lower prices on the 4 and the 3GS.
The 3GS was already a top selling model last quarter, better selling than all or nearly all of the current Android models. The zero up-front subsidized price on the 3GS price will boost iPhone market share in the U.S, even if the 4 and 4S together barely hold the percentage they had last month.
Between the free 3GS, the $99 iPhone 4, and greater availability, Apple's legitimately making a market share play... and is gonna snap up much of the lower-end market where Andriod was winning.
The high-end folks (most of us on MR) might be disappointed with the 4S, but the lower end of the market is rubbing their hands with glee.
Wait until you see the market share pie charts for next year. The strategy will become evident.
