Kantar: As Smartphone Sales Slow, iOS and Android Push Towards a Two-OS World

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Mar 15, 2017) - Across the US, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, Australia, and Japan -- smartphone sales have dropped over the past year. And, the devices being offered by major vendors have become similar in features, performance, and styling, leading to product parity -- according to the latest new industry report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

A free copy of the report is available here:
www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/2017-smartphone-industry-insight-report

"Future success in the smartphone economy will rely on a fundamental shift in how vendors market devices and services," said Lauren Guenveur, Customer Insight Director for Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. "They must find ways to entice buyers to purchase device upgrades more frequently and draw consumers into new technologies and services that enhance the smartphone experience."

The 2017 Mobile World Congress in February demonstrated the true state of the market, with re-emerging brand names Nokia and BlackBerry capturing a lot of attention, but now operating on Android rather than on their own legacy operating systems. The industry witnessed something of a throwback to times past with the new Nokia 3310 feature phone, an updated version of the iconic Nokia look, plus several new Nokia Android smartphones. Also introduced was the Android-based BlackBerry KEYone, including a classic BlackBerry-style physical keyboard.

The latest new smartphone sales data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech also shows the industry becoming increasingly limited to two dominant smartphone operating systems -- iOS and Android. In the three months ending January 2017, Android accounted for 56.4% of smartphone sales in the US, down 1.8 percentage points from the period a year earlier. iOS accounted for 42% of smartphone sales, up 2.9 percentage points year-on-year.

"iOS achieved continued growth across most regions tracked, except for Japan, Spain, and urban China," Guenveur added. "Android also continued to post market share increases in all regions but the US, as no other ecosystem is challenging the two giants -- iOS and Android. In EU5, Android accounted for 74.3% of smartphone sales in the latest period, a small increase from 72.9% in the three months ending January 2016. iOS held a 22.7% share, with iPhone 7 remaining the top-selling device in Great Britain, France, and Germany."

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

In urban China, in the three months ending January 2017, Android accounted for 83.2% of smartphones sold, an increase of 9.3 percentage points versus the same period a year ago. Huawei continues to account for over a quarter of smartphone sales in the region, at 26.6% for the three months ending January 2017. Apple, whose iPhone 7 remains the top-selling smartphone in urban China, and Xiaomi are the second and third largest manufacturers in the region, with 16.6% and 14.5% shares, respectively.

To read Lauren Guenveur's latest research on the future of the smartphone industry, visit:
www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/2017-smartphone-industry-insight-report

Complete Global OS data and an optional PDF file are available here:
https://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/iOS-and-Android-push-towards-a-Two-OS-world

Note: The Kantar Worldpanel ComTech dataviz can be embedded into online articles for a visual representation of Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Smartphone OS market share data. Click here to copy the embed code.

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.

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