Apple's U.S. iPhone User Base Overtook Android in June Quarter, Now Accounts for More Than Half of All Smartphones

Apple's iPhones have overtaken Android devices to account for more than half of all smartphones used in the United States, according to data from Counterpoint Research (via Financial Times).

iPhone 12 v Android 2020
The active installed base of iPhones passed the 50% landmark in the quarter ending in June, while around 150 other mobile brands using Google's Android operating system, led by Samsung and Lenovo, accounted for the rest.

"Operating systems are like religions — never significant changes. But over the past four years the flow has consistently been Android to iOS," said Counterpoint's research director, Jeff Fieldhack. "This is a big milestone that we could see replicated in other affluent countries across the globe."

Compared to annual sales, the active installed base is an even more significant competitive marker representing Apple's slow burn in the smartphone market, as it takes into account users brought into the Apple ecosystem through the used phone market as well as those who use iPhones that were purchased years ago.

Android phones appeared on the market in 2008, a year after the iPhone debuted, and overtook the iOS-installed base in 2010, according to NPD group. In the three years previous, phone sales were dominated by the likes of Nokia, Motorola, Windows, and Blackberry.

The ‌iPhone‌ has made Apple the largest company in the world, with a market capitalization of $2.5 trillion. In 2020, the installed global base for iPhones surpassed 1 billion devices. CEO Tim Cook recently said that Apple had "set a June quarter record for switchers," or consumers leaving Android for iOS.

Apple will unveil the next-generation ‌iPhone‌ 14 series at its "Far Out" media event on Wednesday, September 7, where it is also expected to debut the Apple Watch Series 8. We are expecting a 6.1-inch ‌‌iPhone‌ 14‌, a 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ Max, a 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro, and a 6.7-inch ‌‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro‌ Max. There will be no 5.4-inch ‌‌iPhone‌‌ "mini" this year, with Apple instead opting for larger devices.

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Top Rated Comments

Bodhitree Avatar
35 months ago
Just goes to show that people who have money think that build quality and privacy are worth spending on.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Saturn1217 Avatar
35 months ago
I’m one of those switchers. I really wish android had gotten their act together. Particularly Google and their Pixel line.

The Android OS is fantastic from a UI/UX perspective. But the hardware it runs on is always not quite as good. Not as reliable. And long term support is always kinda crap. By year 3 with my Pixel 3XL the experience was not good (UI crashes when running intensive stuff like Google maps). And always in the back of my mind I had to worry about the phone just not turning on one day as happened to many others. AND Google dropped OS support for my phone at the 3 year mark even though I bought it directly from them.

I was just done. I’m hoping Google eventually figures out their new tensor chips but I refuse to keep waiting in hopes that the next pixel will finally be THE ONE. They’ll have to prove that they can produce hardware of the same caliber as this fantastic iPhone 13 Pro Max first before I come back.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Eldaerenth Faexidor Avatar
35 months ago
I know there are a lot of haters but I find iOS a very pleasant operating system. It’s so reliable. Hopefully Apple will keep their game up regarding privacy and security.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mad Man Avatar
35 months ago

I’m one of those switchers. I really wish android had gotten their act together. Particularly Google and their Pixel line.

The Android OS is fantastic from a UI/UX perspective. But the hardware it runs on is always not quite as good. Not as reliable. And long term support is always kinda crap. By year 3 with my Pixel 3XL the experience was not good (UI crashes when running intensive stuff like Google maps). And always in the back of my mind I had to worry about the phone just not turning on one day as happened to many others. AND Google dropped OS support for my phone at the 3 year mark even though I bought it directly from them.

I was just done. I’m hoping Google eventually figures out their new tensor chips but I refuse to keep waiting in hopes that the next pixel will finally be THE ONE. They’ll have to prove that they can produce hardware of the same caliber as this fantastic iPhone 13 Pro Max first before I come back.
As a mobile developer, I have a drawer full of Android devices from most manufactures and many iOS devices …

Android has some nice UI features but is super inconsistent across brands. Also its scary what developers can do an Android which is blocked on iOS for user protection (Android got better in that respect over the years, but still lacks and there are still too many old Android versions out there.

Another issue is how long it often takes to get the latest Android OS for some devices - if you can get it at all. If you don‘t upgrade the hardware every few years, you are stuck on old Android OS missing out on many new features (and new privacy protection that is slowly added)

And yes, Android hardware is in general not good - shocked that Google has such s*** hardware, they should be the once showing everyone else how to do it right.

So I get why people switch to iOS
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0815 Avatar
35 months ago

Yeah. Privacy. Talk about planned CSAM and rumours about ads coming in.

If anything, it shows power of marketing, which Google totally lacks and fails on.
CSAM … you mean like google who recently locked two users out of ALL their google services (triggered by automatically by their picture scanning software) because they were sending pictures of the private parts of their kids to their doctor, as requested by the doctor? Google even refuses to reenable the accounts again even though law enforcement cleared the users of any wrong doing ???

Ads … as long as they don‘t spy on my, track me and sell my data for other purposes, I‘m ok for it

And google does not lack any marketing … they just have a bad history that people finally take notice of
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
femike Avatar
35 months ago
I'm not a fan of either Android or iOS. Both are not private in any way from US Gov agencies and departments and approved corporations. But iOS does have, at the moment, more protection against independent scammers than Android.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)