"The fact that these two brands own nine of the top ten most-sold devices makes it clear why they are able to dominate sales so convincingly," said Carolina Milanesi, chief of research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. "Apple was the top brand choice for gift-giving, representing 39% of all smartphones purchased as gifts, followed by Samsung at 29%."
Twenty-eight percent of smartphones sold during the quarter went to consumers who had never before owned a smartphone, down from 36% in the same period last year. Android had 27% of these first time buyers and Apple iOS had 23%. Forty-nine percent of consumers indicated they are planning to upgrade their smartphone in the next 12 months. Among them, 43% prefer Apple while 34% prefer Samsung when it comes to the brand that they are considering as their next purchase. Among current iOS owners, 90% said they prefer Apple for their next smartphone while 5% said they prefer Samsung.
If you want to read more about the US smartphone market performance in 3Q15 please visit http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/Samsung-and-Apple-Account-for-66-of-US-Smartphone-Sales
"In the U.S., it was too early for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus to make much of an impact on overall share, as they were only available for the last few days of the quarter. Early sales are certainly positive, however, with the new models having made up 11% of overall quarterly iPhone sales despite such a short availability window," Milanesi added. "It is also interesting to note that iPhone sales through the Apple Store almost doubled compared to 3Q14, registering 7.9% in the third quarter of 2015, up from 7.7% in the three months ending in August. While it is too early to link this to the new iPhone Upgrade Program, the trend is certainly worth watching."
In Europe's big five markets -- Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain -- Huawei rose to second place among Android brands in Europe, up from sixth place in 2014, due in part to a weakening of brands such as Sony, HTC, and Motorola. In Great Britain, iOS held the strongest share ever recorded in a September quarter since Kantar Worldpanel ComTech began tracking that market.
To read the full release on OS market share, please visit: http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/Huawei-Emerges-as-2nd-Largest-Android-Brand-in-EU-Big-Five
For more information about Carolina Milanesi, visit:
www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/About-Us/Our-experts/Carolina-Milanesi
Follow Carolina Milanesi on Twitter: twitter.com/caro_milanesi
About Kantar Worldpanel
Kantar Worldpanel is the world leader in consumer knowledge and insights, based on continuous consumer panels. Its High Definition Inspiration™ approach combines market monitoring, advanced analytics, and tailored market research solutions that inspire successful actions by its clients. Kantar Worldpanel's expertise about what people buy or use -- and why -- is recognized by brand owners, retailers, market analysts, and government organisations globally.
For further information, please visit:
www.kantarworldpanel.com
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Media Contact David Wright MediaBridge Public Relations dwright@mbipr.com +1-408-363-2843
