Kantar Worldpanel ComTech: Android Grows in Major Markets; iOS Set for Rise in China

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - Oct 12, 2016) - The latest smartphone OS data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech shows that for the three months ending August 2016, market share for both Android and iOS grew in EU5, representing 78.1% and 17.3% of smartphone sales, respectively. In the US, iOS increased 2.5 percentage points to 30.9%, but declined in Urban China, falling to 13.5% of smartphone sales. Android dropped 1.7 percentage points in the US.

Europe's big five markets include Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

In the US, Android accounted for 65.2% of smartphone sales, a decline from 66.9% in the same period a year ago. Android's three largest manufacturing brands in the US -- Samsung, LG, and Motorola -- all posted year-on-year sales declines, with Samsung continuing as the top manufacturer in the region at 33.9% of smartphone sales.

"Alcatel and ZTE, sold primarily through prepaid channels such as Walmart and Boost Mobile, each captured 3.5%, gaining an average of two percentage points in US market share over the past year. That growth, however, was not enough to offset the decline experienced by other Android brands," said Lauren Guenveur, Consumer Insight Director for Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

"In Great Britain, both Android and iOS continued to enjoy year-on-year gains, with the iPhone SE remaining the top smartphone sold in the region in the three months ending August 2016," reported Dominic Sunnebo, Business Unit Director for Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Europe. "In Germany, eight out of every ten smartphones sold was Android-based. Samsung remains the top brand at 46%, although that number represents a decline of 3.6 percentage points, compared to the August period a year ago. The Samsung Galaxy S7 was the top-selling device, with a starting price of EUR 620, closely followed by the Samsung Galaxy A5 and A3, two lower-cost alternatives to Samsung's flagship device."

"The US and British markets have a couple of things in common. First, the Google Pixel, announced October 4, will be available through select retail partners in both markets beginning in mid-October. Second, the combined sales shares of Samsung and Apple represent more than 60% of all smartphones sold in these regions, with the rest scattered among brands in decline, such as Motorola and Sony, and those in growth, like Huawei and Alcatel," Guenveur added. "The US and Britain have always been considered premium markets, but we are starting to see a shift to lower-cost devices as the prices of flagship products reach upwards of $800. For Google, this represents a unique challenge, as consumers weigh the features of the Pixel against those of other similarly priced products like the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S7, and against 'good value for money' Android-based brands that many consumers have started to view as alternatives."

"In Urban China, iOS accounted for 13.5% of smartphone sales in the three months ending August 2016, the lowest share for iOS since before the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in July 2014," said Tamsin Timpson, Strategic Insight Director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Asia. "Android accounted for nearly nine out of every ten smartphones sold, with Huawei and Xiaomi remaining the top two brands in the region. Oppo, close on Apple's heels, accounted for 10.6% of sales, with the Oppo R9 becoming the second best-selling phone in the region at 4%, behind the iPhone 6s at 4.3%."

"We believe that Apple's share in Urban China will bounce back, as the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus become widely available," Guenveur explained. "Our September 2016 data is expected to show that initial iPhone 7 sales plus a boost from the lower-priced iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will begin to reverse iOS share decline that began in February. However, with Huawei continuously breaking its own record for the highest share in China -- currently 30% of smartphone sales -- there is no guarantee that Apple will return to the number one position in that market."

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To view an HTML version of the summary data and an optional PDF file, please visit:
http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/Android-Grows-in-Major-Markets-iOS-Set-for-Rise-in-China

Additional insights are available in our blog post:
www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/A-Brief-History-of-Googles-Flagship-Smartphone

Smartphone OS Sales Share (%)
Germany	3 m/e Aug'15	3 m/e Aug'16	% pt. Change		USA	3 m/e Aug'15	3 m/e Aug'16	% pt. Change
Android	75.3	81.3	6.0		Android	66.9	65.2	-1.7
iOS	13.5	14.2	0.7		iOS	28.4	30.9	2.5
Windows	10.5	4.0	-6.5		Windows	3.5	2.3	-1.2
Other	0.7	0.5	-0.2		Other	1.2	1.5	0.3
GB	3 m/e Aug'15	3 m/e Aug'16	% pt. Change		China	3 m/e Aug'15	3 m/e Aug'16	% pt. Change
Android	54.1	58.9	4.8		Android	78.5	85.9	7.4
iOS	33.8	35.9	2.1		iOS	19.0	13.5	-5.5
Windows	11.2	4.9	-6.3		Windows	2.3	0.1	-2.2
Other	0.9	0.4	-0.5		Other	0.2	0.5	0.3
France	3 m/e Aug'15	3 m/e Aug'16	% pt. Change		Australia	3 m/e Aug'15	3 m/e Aug'16	% pt. Change
Android	71	75.7	4.7		Android	53.1	62.5	9.4
iOS	15.4	18.1	2.7		iOS	37.8	32.6	-5.2
Windows	13.1	5	-8.1		Windows	7.4	2.4	-5.0
Other	0.5	1.2	0.7		Other	1.7	2.5	0.8
Italy	3 m/e Aug'15	3 m/e Aug'16	% pt. Change		Japan	3 m/e Aug'15	3 m/e Aug'16	% pt. Change
Android	74.8	82.5	7.7		Android	64.5	66.7	2.2
iOS	10.6	12.2	1.6		iOS	33.8	31.9	-1.9
Windows	13.7	4.9	-8.8		Windows	0.3	0.6	0.3
Other	0.9	0.3	-0.6		Other	1.5	0.8	-0.7
Spain	3 m/e Aug'15	3 m/e Aug'16	% pt. Change		EU5	3 m/e Aug'15	3 m/e Aug'16	% pt. Change
Android	89.5	92.4	2.9		Android	72.1	78.1	6.0
iOS	6.2	7.1	0.9		iOS	16.3	17.3	1.1
Windows	3.9	0.6	-3.3		Windows	10.9	4.1	-6.8
Other	0.4	0	-0.4		Other	0.7	0.5	-0.2

About Kantar Worldpanel ComTech's Smartphone OS Market Share Data
Kantar Worldpanel ComTech's smartphone OS market share data provides the media and businesses with access to the most up-to-date sales and market share figures for the major smartphone operating systems. This information is based on research extracted from the Kantar Worldpanel ComTech global consumer panel. ComTech is the largest continuous consumer research mobile phone tracking panel of its kind in the world, conducting over one million interviews per year in Europe alone. ComTech tracks mobile phone behavior -- including phone purchases, bills/airtime, source of purchase, and usage. It also delivers additional data to promote an understanding of the drivers of share changes, and consumer insight market dynamics. All consumer data in this release excludes enterprise sales.

About Kantar Worldpanel
Kantar Worldpanel is the global expert in shoppers' behavior. Through continuous monitoring, advanced analytics, and tailored solutions, Kantar Worldpanel inspires successful decisions by brand owners, retailers, market analysts, and government organizations globally. With over 60 years' experience, a team of 3,500, and services covering 60 countries directly or through partners, Kantar Worldpanel turns purchase behavior into competitive advantage in markets as diverse as FMCG, impulse products, fashion, baby, telecommunications and entertainment, among many others.

Kantar Worldpanel is part of the Kantar Group, one of the world's largest insight, information, and consultancy networks. The Kantar Group is the data investment management division of WPP.

For further information, please visit: www.kantarworldpanel.com
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About Kantar
Kantar is the data investment management division of WPP, and one of the world's largest insight, information, and consultancy groups. By connecting the diverse talents of its 12 specialist companies, the group aims to become the pre-eminent provider of compelling and inspirational insights for the global business community. Kantar's 27,000 employees work across 100 countries and the whole spectrum of research and consultancy disciplines, enabling the group to deliver business insights from every point of the consumer cycle. The group's services are employed by over half of the Fortune 500 companies.

For further information, please visit: www.kantar.com
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