iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Boost Apple's Customer Base in Europe, but Market Share Slightly Down in U.S.

Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:29 am PDT by Richard Padilla
Research firm Kantar WorldPanel has released a new report (via TechCrunch) highlighting global smartphone sales over the July-September period which saw the debut of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The report found that Apple's market share in major European markets is now higher when compared to the prior-year-period that saw the debut of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. However, Apple's share in countries like the United States and Japan were found to be lower when compared to the same timeframe last year.

kantarchartoct2014
Our latest data covers the first few days of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus being available in Europe and it is clear that demand has been high for the eagerly awaited new models. In Great Britain, where the new iPhone models started shipping on 19 September, Apple saw its sales share up by 1.7% compared with the same period last year, taking share of iOS to 31%. Across the major European markets, where the new iPhone models were made available between the 19 and 26 September, initial sales of the new iPhone models have overwhelmingly been from existing iPhone owners (87%).

Across Europe’s top five markets, the iPhone 6 has outsold the larger iPhone 6 Plus by five-to-one.
Apple's total market share in the U.S. hit 32.6% during September, which is down 3.3% from the 35.9% market share it held in the year-ago period. In Japan, Apple's market share reached 31.3% in September, which is down 15.9% when compared to the 47.2% market share it held during same time period last year.
In the US, market competition has been reinvigorated with LG and Motorola increasing their shares. The recently launched LG G3 and Motorola Moto X are better positioned to compete with flagship products from Samsung and HTC. Smartphones sales grew 35% over the past year in the US. Despite Apple’s share declining 3 percentage points in the three months ending in September, compared with the same period last year, it is clear that demand for the iPhone 6 has been very healthy.
While the iPhone continues to enjoy a steady market share throughout the world, it also continues to trail Android which holds a 70% or higher market share in many countries. In Italy, the iPhone holds the third most market share at 10.4%, which is behind Windows Phone's 15.2% market share and Android's 71.8% market share.

Tag: techcrunch.com
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840quadra
68 months ago

It's almost half of Androids share and dropping, I'd say Apple is starting to lose some of its appeal, especially after some of the missteps lately.

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Why would they want an iPhone, they're nothing special, especially compared to more expensive Android phones, I wouldn't want people to think I have an iPhone, I like to be a bit different to the herd mentality.


Huh?

Your first response more or less states that iPhones are in the minority, and your second point states you don't want to be seen with an iPhone, and want to be different than the "herd mentality".

So to clarify, you actually are subscribing to the herd mentality, in going with the more popular Android platform, and joining the masses. ;)

I guess that makes me a herd extrovert, as I have devices form both within my possession.
Rating: 15 Votes
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apparatchik
68 months ago
What a misleading title, the iPhone 6(+) wasnt even available in some of these countries in the covered period, and just a few days of it in the ones it was available, how can you state "iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Boost Apple's base in Europe, down in the US"?

Could it be people were actually holding purchase through out this period?

Wouldn't you need a full quater availability to see what the iPhone 6(+) impact in market share really is?

Besides, I have had $100 Android phones for development purposes, they're not really smartphones, they're not even good feature phones, as they lag so much making calls and texting becomes an enduring test of patience and frustration. It just allows people who doesn't know better to think they have a "smartphone".
Rating: 14 Votes
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haruhiko
68 months ago
So we are still playing this market share game?
Rating: 10 Votes
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hachre
68 months ago
Market share for Germany cannot be right. I know only one guy who uses an Android phone - everybody else bought a new iPhone this season and I know many people.

Why would they want an iPhone, they're nothing special, especially compared to more expensive Android phones, I wouldn't want people to think I have an iPhone, I like to be a bit different to the herd mentality.


Since when are Apple buyers the herd? The market share says otherwise. If anything the Samsung Android buyers are the herd...
Rating: 9 Votes
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gnasher729
68 months ago
As usual, they publish the market share in smartphone units. That is, they don't cover either the high end smartphone market, which is where Apple is playing, and they don't cover the whole phone market, which isn't skewed by the fact that people switch from cheap feature phones to cheap smartphones.

These numbers also count a $600 phone exactly the same as a $100 phone. Personally, I'd rather sell x phones for $600 each than 2x or 3x phones for $100 each.
Rating: 9 Votes
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RockSpider
68 months ago
Looks like America is finally waking up to the fact that there are other alternatives, good to see.
Rating: 9 Votes
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RichTF
68 months ago
What's the deal with Windows Phone in Italy? That's a massive anomaly, so presumably there's some reason for it…?
Rating: 8 Votes
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samcraig
68 months ago
Typical posts.

Market share doesn't matter. Only when Apple's market share is larger. Then it's something to boast about. Of course - we can always talk about the tremendous profits Apple makes - so market share up or down is meaningless because it's all about profits :)
Rating: 7 Votes
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stewy
68 months ago

So we are still playing this market share game?


Yeah! Market share doesn't matter unless it's my side that's winning!
Rating: 5 Votes
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BMcCoy
68 months ago
Apple usually quote market share in terms of 'usage' - perhaps reflecting that there may be many more (cheap) android phones out there, but they're not being used!
Rating: 5 Votes

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