The big-screen phone bet is right! iOS has reversed its global market share

Last year, Apple released two large-screen iPhones, which were believed to have eroded the market share of Samsung Electronics and other manufacturers, reversing the situation of iOS's continuous decline. On Wednesday, market research firm Kantar WorldpanelComTech released its latest report on global mobile operating systems, showing that Apple's large-screen mobile phone strategy has led to a significant increase in iOS' market share in China and other countries around the world, while Android's market share has declined in many countries.

Kantar's report shows that from September to November last year, iOS's share of the smartphone market increased year-on-year in eight of the nine countries and regions it surveyed.

In the United States, iOS's share rose to 47.4% from 43.1% in the same period of 2013. In Australia, iOS's share soared from 35% to 44.9%.

In the five major EU countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom), iOS's share also increased from 17.5% to 23.8%.

In China's smartphone market, iOS's share has also risen to 18.1% from 17% in the same period of 2013. As we all know, China is a country where Android has a monopoly advantage, so the rise of iOS is not easy.

Kantar said that only in Japan did iOS's share decline, but compared with 2013, Apple added DoCoMo as a new iPhone distribution partner, which led to a surge in sales that year.

On September 19 last year, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were launched in the United States, Britain, Australia, Spain, Germany, Japan and other countries, and in Italy and Spain on September 26. The Chinese market was delayed due to regulatory issues and was postponed to October 17.

Due to different launch times in different countries, Kantar’s iPhone sales data does not cover a full three months.

The global mobile operating system has been completely monopolized by Apple iOS and Google Android, and the share of Microsoft WP is basically negligible. Therefore, the increase in iOS share has also led to a decline in Android share in many countries.

Kantar's report shows that Android's share has declined in five of the nine countries and regions studied.

In the United States, Android's share has dropped from 50.4% in the same period of 2013 to 48.4%, competing with iOS. In Australia, it has dropped from 55.1% to 45%.

In the five largest EU countries, Android's share fell from 69.9% to 66.8%.

In the Chinese market, Android's share increased from 78.6% to 80.4% due to the presence of a large number of strong Android phone manufacturers in the country.

Tamsin Timpson from Kantar said that Chinese local mobile phone manufacturers have launched a rich product line, resulting in the continued rise in Android's share. In the three months surveyed, Xiaomi alone accounted for 30.2% of the market share, an incredible 18 percentage points increase compared with the same period in 2013.

It is reported that due to the large number of manufacturers, Android has become a diversified and open market, and the performance of each manufacturer varies. For example, Samsung Electronics' market share in Europe and the United States has declined, but Motorola Mobility has increased its share in many countries driven by mobile phones such as Moto X and Moto G.

Carolina Milanesi, research director at Kantar, said Android remains the world's most dominant mobile operating system, but in most European countries and the United States, Android's share has fallen for the first time since September 2013.

The person in charge said that the decline in Android system share is not all bad news for all players in the Android ecosystem. There are a large number of brands and devices in the Android ecosystem, consumers can choose freely, and the fate of each manufacturer is also different.

Another Kantar researcher said that Apple has begun to rely on the new iPhone to poach consumers from Android manufacturers around the world, and this trend will continue in the future. The wider the market penetration of Apple's new mobile phones, the more mobile phone users they will poach in addition to Apple fans.

It was revealed that among users who currently purchased new iOS devices, 18% previously used Android devices.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.