Apple the only top-5 mobile phone OEM to show subscriber growth in past three months
Apple was the only top-5 phone manufacturer to grow its slice of the U.S. mobile subscriber market during the third quarter while its share rose above 10% for the first time, according to a new report.
Market research firm comScore said Friday that average number of U.S. mobile subscribers using iPhones during the three-month period ending September increased 1.3% to give Apple a 10.2% share of the market.
Overall, a surveyed over 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers age 13 and older found that an average of 234 million Americans used mobile devices during the third quarter.
Market leader worldwide No. 2 Samsung was the only other handset maker that didn't lose subscribers during the three month period, holding its 25.3% share with no change. LG and Motorola both showed a 0.7% decrease in subscribers, followed by RIM who shed 0.8% of the market.
The number of smartphone users rose 12% from the previous quarter with mobile platforms fighting for their share of 87.4 million subscribers. Android was the top-ranked OS with 44.8% of subscribers using handsets running Google's software, a 4.6% bump from three months ago. Apple secured its place behind Android, growing 0.8 points to hold 27.4% of the market, and RIM ranked third with a 18.9% share. Microsoft and Symbian rounded out the top five with 5.6% and 1.8% of the smartphone base, respectively.
Apple's subscriber growth comes amid a rise in the number of consumers who are turning their smartphones to perform data-centric tasks. In particular, comScore's survey found that the number of subscribers using mobile web browsers increased 2.8% to 42.9% during the third quarter, while those downloading apps jumped 3% to 42.5%.
Text messaging remained dominant with 71.1% of consumers using the feature, up 1.5% from June.
Market research firm comScore said Friday that average number of U.S. mobile subscribers using iPhones during the three-month period ending September increased 1.3% to give Apple a 10.2% share of the market.
Overall, a surveyed over 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers age 13 and older found that an average of 234 million Americans used mobile devices during the third quarter.
Market leader worldwide No. 2 Samsung was the only other handset maker that didn't lose subscribers during the three month period, holding its 25.3% share with no change. LG and Motorola both showed a 0.7% decrease in subscribers, followed by RIM who shed 0.8% of the market.
The number of smartphone users rose 12% from the previous quarter with mobile platforms fighting for their share of 87.4 million subscribers. Android was the top-ranked OS with 44.8% of subscribers using handsets running Google's software, a 4.6% bump from three months ago. Apple secured its place behind Android, growing 0.8 points to hold 27.4% of the market, and RIM ranked third with a 18.9% share. Microsoft and Symbian rounded out the top five with 5.6% and 1.8% of the smartphone base, respectively.
Apple's subscriber growth comes amid a rise in the number of consumers who are turning their smartphones to perform data-centric tasks. In particular, comScore's survey found that the number of subscribers using mobile web browsers increased 2.8% to 42.9% during the third quarter, while those downloading apps jumped 3% to 42.5%.
Text messaging remained dominant with 71.1% of consumers using the feature, up 1.5% from June.
Comments
Wait, I thought Android was winning.
Yes, Android is kicking the iPhone's ass from here to Jericho. Ask any fandroid and they'll confirm it. What we really need is some sort of equivalency scale. For example how many cheap plastic, kludged, non-updated Android phones does it take to equal one single iPhone in quality and profits? The ratio has to be in the thousands to one. Kinda puts the "500,000 activations per day" in perspective doesn't it.
Wait, I thought Android was winning.
Android is winning. Handset makers and platforms are not the same thing. The iOS platform grew .8% and Android grew 4.6%. That doesn't mean Apple is going to go away, die or anything like that but focusing on a smaller number and ignoring the broader picture does no favors for Apple.
Yes, Android is kicking the iPhone's ass from here to Jericho. Ask any fandroid and they'll confirm it. What we really need is some sort of equivalency scale. For example how many cheap plastic, kludged, non-updated Android phones does it take to equal one single iPhone in quality and profits? The ratio has to be in the thousands to one. Kinda puts the "500,000 activations per day" in perspective doesn't it.
Well, that's a happily ignorant statement.
How many iPhones does it take to equal one Galaxy Nexus?
See that? That's also an ignorant statement.
Yes, Android is kicking the iPhone's ass from here to Jericho. Ask any fandroid and they'll confirm it. What we really need is some sort of equivalency scale. For example how many cheap plastic, kludged, non-updated Android phones does it take to equal one single iPhone in quality and profits? The ratio has to be in the thousands to one. Kinda puts the "500,000 activations per day" in perspective doesn't it.
Oh and buy one POS get one POS free deal!
Well, that's a happily ignorant statement.
How many iPhones does it take to equal one Galaxy Nexus?
See that? That's also an ignorant statement.
Yeah, it is. Except that deep down we all know the answer is .4
Android is winning. Handset makers and platforms are not the same thing. The iOS platform grew .8% and Android grew 4.6%. That doesn't mean Apple is going to go away, die or anything like that but focusing on a smaller number and ignoring the broader picture does no favors for Apple.
And when you look at the 0.8% growth it is primarily in income brackets with substantial disposable income while Androids 4.6% is on the lower end.
Any business person would rather have 0.8% of a market that spends a ton of money than 4.6% of a market that doesn't spend any.
And when you look at the 0.8% growth it is primarily in income brackets with substantial disposable income while Androids 4.6% is on the lower end.
Any business person would rather have 0.8% of a market that spends a ton of money than 4.6% of a market that doesn't spend any.
Just to clarify... when a consumer gets a "free" phone from a carrier... the manufacturer still gets paid the full amount for the phone.
Granted it's not a $600 phone... but the manufacturers still get money from them.
how many cheap plastic, kludged, non-updated Android phones does it take to equal one single iPhone
Every Android phone in the whole world, all put together, can't even equal ONE single iPhone.
And when you look at the 0.8% growth it is primarily in income brackets with substantial disposable income while Androids 4.6% is on the lower end.
I would think that large parts of Apple's current and short-term future growth will be derived from the FreeGS.
I would also think that Apple will serve the largest portion of the broadest demographic it can penetrate. The days of Apple being some sort of "elite" thing are quickly passing. The FreeGS demographic will increasingly be targeted by Apple.
If you look at comScores monthly releases, they have used the following statement with the same 234 million number of users since last December. That is as far as I went back so it could have been even longer. The only change in the statement is the month being updated
I think that it seems a little odd that the 3 month average has not increased in 10 months. Or is the mobile phone market done growing in the U.S.?
comScores statements:
For the three-month average period ending in December, 234 million Americans age 13 and older used mobile devices.
For the three-month average period ending in March, 234 million Americans age 13 and older used mobile devices.
For the three-month average period ending in September, 234 million Americans age 13 and older used mobile devices.
Wait, I thought Android was winning.
The numbers include both smartphones and feature phones.
Total Samsung mobile phone sales are flat because, whilst their smartphone sales are up, their feature phone sales are down. LG is down because their smartphone sales are not making up for the decline in their feature phones.
Apple's mobile phone sales are up because they don't have feature phones to drag down the numbers.
Wait, I thought Android was winning.
I don't believe any of the Android numbers that are regularly thrown out there, for a second. The only data we have are either consulting firms' "estimates" or the handset makers' "shipments". I.e., it's mostly bogus.
I've not seen a single Android handset maker (or Google) ever provide audited sales (as in "revenue recognized") figures in their financial filings.
I'd love to be proved wrong.
Wait, I thought Android was winning.
What do you mean, win? Win what? Most fragments ever sold?
Every Android phone in the whole world, all put together, can't even equal ONE single iPhone.
I like the iPhones also but I still think your comment is a bit of a stretch.
Apple doesn't have subscribers. Apple sells phones. Users subscribe to phone service with the cell providers.
Actually the article states that the share of U.S. mobile subscribers using iPhones has increased.
Every Android phone in the whole world, all put together, can't even equal ONE single iPhone.
haha... Every object in the world smashed together would still be less than one iPhone