iphone5Research firm Kantar Worldpanel released two new reports on Monday, revealing various findings about the growth in sales on the strength of iOS devices for U.S. carrier T-Mobile, as well as Apple’s growing market share in Japan when compared to other mobile platforms such as Android. Both reports were published for the three-month period ending in August 2013.

The first report states that T-Mobile accounted for 13.2% of smartphone sales in the U.S. market during the three-month period, marking the carrier's highest share over the past year with a growth of 1.1% compared to the year-ago quarter. The iPhone 5 also remained the top-selling smartphone at T-Mobile, accounting for 17.1% of sales.

Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Global Strategic Insight Director, Dominic Sunnebo states, “When iOS first debuted on T-Mobile in mid-April, the majority of sales came from consumers upgrading from a featurephone to their first smartphone. However, looking at those who purchased an iPhone in the August period, 56% of those consumers came from another smartphone, including 38.5% from an Android device.”

The second report shows the growth of Apple’s iOS as a whole in various international markets, with Apple maintaing a strong year-over-year growth in making up 39.3% of total smartphones sales in the United States, up over five percentage points over the previous year and a number that is expected to spike following the launch of Apple’s refreshed iPhone line. The report also shares evidence of Apple’s emergence in the Japanese market:

Apple and Android have recorded almost identical shares of sales in Japan – 48.6% and 47.4% respectively. However, news that the new iPhone range will be available on Japan’s largest carrier, NTT DoCoMo, for the first time, makes it likely that Apple will pull ahead of Android in this key market.

Kantar Worldpanel previously reported the success of the iPhone for T-Mobile in June, along with growth of Apple’s market share with various carrier expansion. Both reports did not include the launch figures of Apple’s new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, which combined for a total of nine million units sold in the first weekend.

Top Rated Comments

StrongArmmed Avatar
159 months ago
Parity in Japan?? Driving T-Mobile sales in the most recent period? Nine million phones sold opening weekend??

That looks so...dire. Apple's demise is surely foretold.. /s :rolleyes:
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FlatlinerG Avatar
159 months ago
Parity in Japan?? Driving T-Mobile sales in the most recent period? Nine million phones sold opening weekend??

That looks so...dire. Apple's demise is surely foretold.. /s :rolleyes:


Apple is a sinking ship according to the majority of MacRumors members. :p

iOS 7 is a flop, they say.
iPhone 5s and 5c are terrible, they say.
Jobs never would have allowed this, they say.

and yet, sales are up and market share is increasing.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BC2009 Avatar
159 months ago
You're right. I'd like to see how anyone can spin this report into bad news.
Analysts will find a way. They found a way to predict 6M iPhone launch sales and then try to twist things to say that they weren't considering all these known factors such as sales in China and Japan and sales to retail channels for iPhone 5C (despite the fact that last year Apple shipped a bunch of 16GB iPhone 4S and 8GB iPhone 4 units to retailers). They also claim that they were simply trying to count sales to actual customers (which has never been a metric that could be actually measured).

Apple has the strictest form of accounting when it comes to sales reported. They don't report sales until the risk is transferred and they have a reasonable belief of collection (for retailers on 30, 60 or 90 terms to make payment). For sales from their online store they don't count the sale when it is ordered or shipped, but rather when the customer has signed for the package because that is the point where the risk has been transferred.

Apple's 9M iPhone sales this year are reported in the exact same way as the 5M iPhone sales were reported with last year's launch. Last year Munster tried to say he was only off by 5M because he was counting unshipped preorders while this year he claimed he was off because he was only counting iPhones in customers hands. Maybe Munster was just wrong --- seems more plausible to me. Gene Munster and Peter Misek should be out of a job with how often they are wrong.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ValSalva Avatar
159 months ago
Well, Japan and the US, where iOS is at or near the top of market share, make up ONLY 31% of the world's GDP. There's no money to be made there. :rolleyes:

I hadn't thought of that. You are right. Apple is doomed :D
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
osofast240sx Avatar
159 months ago
Apple is a sinking ship according to the majority of MacRumors members. :p

iOS 7 is a flop, they say.
iPhone 5s and 5c are terrible, they say.
Jobs never would have allowed this, they say.

and yet, sales are up and market share is increasing.
Don't forget they also say apple needs to make a bigger phone
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PracticalMac Avatar
159 months ago
It's gonna be harder for a carrier not to carry iPhone now.

Every carrier that gained iPhone saw sales go up.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...