Apple Sneaks by Android in Fourth Quarter U.S. Smartphone Sales

Reuters reports on new data from research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech showing that Apple slipped past Android by the narrowest of margins in fourth quarter U.S. smartphone sales, with Apple's iPhone taking 44.9% of the market and Android taking 44.8%.

"Apple has continued its strong sales run in the U.S., UK and Australia over the Christmas period," Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at the research firm said.

"Overall, Apple sales are now growing at a faster rate than Android across the nine countries we cover," Sunnebo added.

The results, driven by Apple's blockbuster quarter in the wake of the iPhone 4S launch, saw Apple double its U.S. sales share year-over-year while Android slipped from its 50% share a year ago. Apple yesterday reported sales of 37 million iPhones during the quarter, far exceeding expectations.

apple android logos
Kantar's report also focuses on Windows Phone, which continues to struggle despite the high-profile launch of Nokia's Lumia smartphones. Windows Phone's market share remains at less than 2% in all nine markets followed by Kantar.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Glasses Purple Feature

Apple Smart Glasses Launching in 2026

Thursday May 22, 2025 12:22 pm PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a set of smart glasses by the end of 2026, reports Bloomberg. The glasses will be comparable to the Meta Ray-Bans and the Android XR glasses that Google showed off earlier this week. Apple's smart glasses are expected to include cameras, microphones, and AI capabilities, much like the Meta Ray-Bans. The glasses will be able to take photos, record video, provide...
Apple Glass

Apple Smart Glasses: Everything We Know So Far

Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:21 am PDT by
Google recently made waves by showcasing a set of lightweight smart glasses featuring deep Gemini integration and an optional in-lens display. The demo has reignited interest in Apple's own smart glasses project, which has been the subject of rumors for nearly a decade. Here's a recap of where things stand. Current Development Status Apple is actively working on new chips specifically...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Raises iPhone Trade-In Values For Limited Time — Here's the List

Friday May 23, 2025 6:48 am PDT by
Apple has temporarily increased its iPhone trade-in values in select countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, U.K., and China. Apple says the extra credit towards a new iPhone is available through June 18. In the U.S., the maximum estimated trade-in values increased by only $5 to $30, with the full changes in that country outlined below. ...
iPod shuffle generations

Kuo: Jony Ive's Futuristic OpenAI Device Like a Neck-Worn iPod Shuffle

Thursday May 22, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The big news in the technology world this week is that ChatGPT maker OpenAI is working more closely with Apple's former design chief Jony Ive on a futuristic AI device. The company is remaining tight lipped about the device, but Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has shared some alleged details about its design. In a social media post today, Kuo said the device will be "slightly larger" ...
CarPlay Ultra Aston Martin

CarPlay Ultra Solves One of Regular CarPlay's Biggest Limitations

Thursday May 22, 2025 9:16 am PDT by
The next generation of CarPlay is finally starting to roll out, and it includes a new feature that solves one of regular CarPlay's longstanding limitations. Apple last week announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, and it offers a Radio app, allowing you to control AM and FM radio stations within CarPlay. With regular CarPlay, you must switch between CarPlay and your vehicle's built-in software ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Thursday May 22, 2025 4:06 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
General Calendar Feature

Apple Calendar App Revamp Confirmed by Job Posting

Friday May 23, 2025 3:12 am PDT by
A new Apple job listing has provided more evidence that the company is working on a major overhaul of its Calendar app. A senior software engineer position for "Calendar Experience," spotted by Macworld's Filipe Espósito, explicitly states that Apple seeks candidates to join a team that will "reimagine what a modern calendar can be across Apple's platforms." Listed on April 29, the posting ...

Top Rated Comments

voonyx Avatar
174 months ago
Okay, I seem to remember the pundits saying something about how the iPhone 4S was going to be a sales flop because it does not have a 4" screen, does not have 1GB RAM, has only a 800MHz processor, does not support 4G LTE, does not have NFC, looks the same as a iPhone 4, etc., etc. etc.

Yeah, where are those guys now? Oh they're the ones downvoting all the posts in this thread LOL
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Taz Mangus Avatar
174 months ago
Okay, I seem to remember the pundits saying something about how the iPhone 4S was going to be a sales flop because it does not have a 4" screen, does not have 1GB RAM, has only a 800MHz processor, does not support 4G LTE, does not have NFC, looks the same as a iPhone 4, etc., etc. etc.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
voonyx Avatar
174 months ago
Apple just needs to file for Chapter 11 and call it a business already.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jaison13 Avatar
174 months ago
wow, that's pretty amazing considering we are talking 3 models vs. about 1000 different android handsets. they are raking in some major $$ because their profit margin is much higher.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Taz Mangus Avatar
174 months ago
Yeah, where are those guys now? Oh they're the ones downvoting all the posts in this thread LOL

They can't even claim that Samsung SHIPPED more handsets this time. :o
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SuperSnake2012 Avatar
174 months ago
Glad I was able to help by getting rid of my Evo and buying a 4S. :cool:
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)