Kantar Worldpanel ComTech: The Beat Goes On - iPhone 7 Is Almost Here

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Sep 6, 2016) - The latest sales data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech shows that in the three months ending July 2016 the iPhone SE was the third top-selling device in the US, capturing 5% of all smartphone sales behind the Galaxy S7 at 9% and the iPhone 6s at 11%. The success of the iPhone SE, including feature set, buyer demand, reaction, and demographic, provide valuable clues about the response to the expected launch of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

"Compared to buyers of other Apple models, such as iPhone 6/6 Plus and iPhone 6s/6s Plus, iPhone SE buyers are younger and tend to have an income under $50k," noted Lauren Guenveur, Consumer Insight Director for Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. "This is no surprise, since more than 40% of iPhone SE consumers told us 'getting a good deal on the price of the phone' was a main purchase driver. In contrast, only 30% of iPhone 6/6 Plus buyers and 23% of iPhone 6s/6s Plus buyers expressed such strong price motivation."

Guenveur also observed that 24% of iPhone SE purchases (starting at $399) were purchasing either their first smartphone or first mobile phone. The remaining 76% of iPhone SE buyers were upgrading their smartphone.

Potential of the iPhone 7
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, anticipated to be announced at the Apple event on September 7, are rumored to include a dual camera lens, storage capacity from 32GB to 256GB, and improved battery life. But notably, it may be missing the round, 3.5mm headset jack that has been an industry standard on most smartphones.

"We see a large opportunity for the iPhone 7 when we consider the potential number of upgraders coming from the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus," Guenveur added. "Smartphone owners in the US keep their devices an average 22 months before upgrading, with iPhone owners averaging 25 months. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, released in September 2014, account for the largest share of Apple's current installed base at 33%, and 29% of iPhone 6/6 Plus owners surveyed in June 2016 told us they intend to change their device within the year. Virtually all of those who intend to upgrade have told us they will remain loyal to Apple, making the iPhone 7 an obvious choice."

Headset Port Evolution
There have been rumors that Apple is eliminating the common 3.5mm round headset jack from the iPhone 7 in favor of Apple's own Lightning port, believed by some observers to provide better water and dust resistance.

"Media concerns over the headset jack seem exaggerated to us, in comparison to more important considerations like camera quality, battery life, and storage," Guenveur offered. "We believe that many current iPhone 6/6 Plus owners won't consider this a barrier, since they are more likely to agree with statements like 'I love to buy new technology products' and 'I try to keep up with developments in technology' than owners of older iPhones and other smartphone brands."

Global Market Data
In Great Britain, iOS achieved a 5.2 percentage point increase vs. a year ago to account for 38% of smartphone sales in the three months ending July 2016, the strongest growth since the three-month period ending September 2015. Android also posted gains, with 57.3% of smartphone sales, up from 54.4% in the previous year. The largest year-on-year losses were experienced by Windows.

In Urban China, Android reached 85% of smartphone sales in the three months ending July 2016, a record high for Android in this region. Huawei increased its share to 27.6%, Xiaomi held second position with 18.5% of smartphones sales, followed by Apple in third place at 14.3%. This continues the decline in iOS market share that began in the three months ending February 2016.

For more on US market activity, see Lauren Guenveur's latest blog post at: www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/The-Beat-Goes-On-iPhone-7-is-here-almost

To view complete global OS data and an optional PDF file, please visit:
www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/Ahead-of-iPhone-Launch-iOS-Continues-Growth

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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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