Apple Reportedly Retakes U.S. Smartphone Sales Lead from Android on iPhone 5 Strength

Research firm Kantar Worldpanel shares its latest data on U.S. smartphone sales, calculating that a strong debut from the iPhone 5 has enabled Apple to retake the lead from Android in the race for the top platform. The report pegs Apple's share of the market during the August-October period at 48.1%, compared to 46.7% for Android.

Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, comments: “The last time we saw iOS overtake Android in the US was when the iPhone 4S was released and Apple managed to retain its lead for three consecutive periods. This time we predict that Apple will beat its previous high of 49.3% and achieve its highest ever share of the US smartphone market within the next two periods.”

kantar us smartphones oct12

Apple has, however, found stiffer competition from Android internationally, with Android holding 60-80% share in most other markets tracked by Kantar Worldpanel. Notable areas of weakness for Apple include Brazil (0.4%) and Spain (4.0%), but the company continues to perform fairly well in countries such as the the United Kingdom (32.7%) and Australia (29.4%).

The firm's surveys of U.S. iPhone customers finds a healthy 60/40 balance between upgrade buyers and new users, suggesting that Apple is continuing to see loyal customers while also attracting new users with the iPhone 5. According to the report, 92% of current Apple users indicate that they will purchase an iPhone as their next phone.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...

Top Rated Comments

goobot Avatar
165 months ago
I live in the UK and a lot of people here are ditching the iphone as the screen is way to small, im sure its only a few but the screen issue is becoming a fact of life.

How is it too small? I remember people bitching it was too big in 2007. It's a phone, get a tablet if you want a big screen IMO.
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ZenErik Avatar
165 months ago
iPhone screen is the perfect size, IMO. I wish premium Android and Windows 8 phones would have the same sized screen. Most of them are too big for me to use with 1 hand.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kaibelf Avatar
165 months ago
I live in the UK and a lot of people here are ditching the iphone as the screen is way to small, im sure its only a few but the screen issue is becoming a fact of life.

I prefer to have something fit in my pocket. I do find it ironic how many Europeans complain about America's oversized waistlines, cars, homes, and televisions, yet you posted this.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GenesisST Avatar
165 months ago
I have nothing against two strong contenders! Of course, they will overtake one another every now and then.

I think that are 4 categories for Android and iOS:
1) Those who prefer iOS
2) Those who prefer Android
3) Those who despise iOS/Apple
4) Those who despise Android/Google

To each his own... Although those in #3 and #4 should get a life...

At this point, RIM and MS should just be included in "others". On the other hand, I welcome them for trying.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Small White Car Avatar
165 months ago
The mirroring of the two lines is pretty fascinating. They really are fighting over the same people now.

Gone are the days when they could both gain customers away from dumb-phones and both grow at ridiculous rates. Nope, now a sale for you is literally a customer stolen from the other guy.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
odditie Avatar
165 months ago
This graph seems wrong...I'm pretty sure RIM has a negative share at this point.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)