Kantar Worldpanel: Android's 59% Share Tops US; iPhone 7 Drives Best iOS Growth in Two Years

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Dec 7, 2016) - The latest data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech shows that Android was still the dominant smartphone OS in the US with a 57.9% share during the three months ending in October 2016, but continued a year-on-year decline that began with the period ending in June.

"The lack of a round headphone jack has proved to be a non-issue for US buyers. The iPhone 7 was the top-selling device in the three months ending October 2016, achieving 10.6% of smartphone sales despite not being available for the full three-month period," explained Lauren Guenveur, Consumer Insight Director for Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. "iPhone 7 Plus was the fourth best-selling device at 5.3%, behind the iPhone 6s and Samsung Galaxy S7."

Google achieved 0.5% of smartphone sales, a strong showing given that the Pixel only became available on October 20. In that short time, Google reached market parity with more established brands like Huawei and Microsoft, also at 0.5%, Guenveur reported.

"Prospects for Android in 2017 may have improved slightly with the announcement from Nokia Technologies that it has granted rights to manufacture Nokia-branded smartphones to HMD Global Oy, a subsidiary of Hon Hai/Foxconn Technology Group," Guenveur added.

More details on the re-emergence of Nokia are available in Guenveur's blog post at: https://goo.gl/B9SErK

Global Market Data Summary

Kantar Worldpanel also reported that iOS achieved year-on-year growth across most regions except Germany and Urban China. For the three months ending October 2016, Japan topped the areas where iOS had its greatest share, at 51.7%. iOS share in Great Britain stood at 44% and in the US at 40.5%. Android had similar growth across most regions, declining only in the US, by 5.6 percentage points, and in Japan by less than 1%.

"Android remains the dominant ecosystem, reaching a 75% share across much of the globe except those markets most focused on premium devices -- chiefly the US, Great Britain, and Japan," Guenveur said. "This is not a surprise since Android's business model provides consumers with a variety of brands and price points from which to choose."

The apparent lopsided market share figures are not a reason for doubting the strength or future position of Apple's iOS. While Android dominates the raw number of devices it powers, Apple remains the most desirable smartphone brand in the world, according to Guenveur.

For more on US market activity, see Lauren Guenveur's latest blog post at: http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/Its-back-the-nokia-brand-returns-to-smartphones

To view complete global OS data and an optional PDF file, please visit: http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/iOS-Share-Driven-Higher-by-iPhone-77-Plus-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. For more information, please visit: www.kantarworldpanel.com

For further information, please visit us at www.kantarworldpanel.com.
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