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

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

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

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 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...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
watchos 26 workout app

Apple Watch Users Claim Workout App Is Now Worse in Every Way

Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating. When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Two More U.S. States Commit to Offering iPhone Driver's Licenses in Apple Wallet App

Thursday November 20, 2025 8:21 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Earlier this week, Illinois became the 13th state in the U.S. to offer the feature. Subsequently, we shared a list of additional states that are committed...
android iphone airdrop quickshare

iPhone Users Can Now AirDrop Files to Android Devices

Thursday November 20, 2025 9:47 am PST by
Google today announced a new cross-platform feature that allows for file sharing between iPhone and Android users. With AirDrop on the iPhone and QuickShare on Pixel 10 devices, there is a new file transfer function available. The file sharing option works on Apple devices that include iPhone, iPad, and Mac, along with the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Fold....