Kantar: iOS Adoption Rises in China as Android Grows in U.S. and Europe

Kantar Worldpanel has released new smartphone operating system market share data for the third calendar quarter of 2015, providing a regional breakdown of Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and other mobile platform adoption in the U.S., Europe, China, Japan and elsewhere during the three-month period ending October.

In the U.S. market, Android led the third quarter with 62.8% market share, compared to 33.6% for iOS. The U.S. smartphone market continues to be virtually a two-horse race between Apple and Google, with iOS and Android combining for 96.4% market share in the October quarter. Windows Phone was a distant third place with just 2.7% market share.

"With 33.6% of the U.S. smartphone market, Apple's share remained down year-over-year, but up quarter-over-quarter, as iPhone 6s became the third best-selling smartphone," Milanesi added. "Samsung retained its leading position in the U.S. smartphone market and, for the first time in 2015, the South Korean brand was able to show year-on-year growth."

Android continued to have the highest market share among mobile platforms worldwide, experiencing 1.6% year-over-year growth in Europe's big five markets -- United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. iOS adoption grew in China and Japan by 7% and 3.5% respectively compared to the year-ago quarter.

Kantar Worldpanel data shows the iPhone 6s accounted for 24% of all iPhones sold in the U.S. in the three months ending October, compared to 33% for the iPhone 6 in 2014, and 22% for the iPhone 5s in 2013. Kantar says "overall volumes are pretty much identical to what was sold in 2013, while down 25% from 2014’s sales."

Kantar Worldpanel's latest data is also available in chart format for those that cannot view the embedded map above.