Apple’s iOS may be the most popular in all “Big Five” markets in Europe for the second quarter but Android OS still shows relevant growth in the region. The largest markets in Europe that include Spain, France, Italy, Great Britain, and Germany showed that iOS is No. 1 contrary to numbers going down in the United States. Android’s continuous growth is mainly due to the numerous mobile devices running the platform and new models being introduced left and right. South Korean giants LG and Samsung both have been good players with their shares going up.
Android may have fallen in Germany when you look at the year-on-year shares but iOS had an edge the past few months. Meanwhile, more people are buying Android phones with large screens especially since Apple launched the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. When it comes to Android, Samsung is a front-runner with the Galaxy Note devices we consider as phablets (phone-tablets) now. We’re estimating that numbers will change as soon as the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus are released in less than two weeks.
In China and Europe, the Android ecosystem also continues to grow bigger. With the numerous Chinese phone manufacturers entering the smartphone arena, the market is expected to change. According to Kantar World Panel, LG and Samsung now account for 78% of all Android mobile device sales. That may seem like bad news for other Android phone makers but at least we know that Android still holds majority of the market even if numbers in some areas and categories are decreasing.
In the US, LG is considered as the big winner probably thanks to its latest premium flagship phone–the LG G4. “LG is the real success story of the quarter. Not only did it double its share of the U.S. smartphone market once again, but it was also able, for the first time, to acquire more first-time smartphone buyers than Samsung,” shares Carolina Milanesi, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech’s chief of research.
Thanks to the Honor series, Huawei became number one in China. Xiaomi also did well, capturing the older market while Huawei, the younger generation in the country. Phones from these two brands sell because of their value for money–with high specs yet still affordable. Meizu is also gaining more fans within China while older names like Lenovo is experiencing weaker sales according to Kantar.
We don’t have exact details about sales and profits and share market distribution per country and region and by brand but when it comes to Android, Google’s own mobile OS can still be considered as King. Yes, Apple may be most profitable, capturing 92% of all smartphone profits in Q1, but more people all over the world still have Android devices in their hands.
SOURCE: Kantar World Panel
