Apple's iOS sees highest share of US activations since 2016, report says
According to a report from research group CIRP on Friday, Apple's iOS accounted for 44 percent of U.S. smartphone activations during the first quarter of 2020, beating similar metrics last seen in 2016.
Source: CIRP
While Apple and Google share a "stable duopoly" in smartphone user share, the scales are slowly shifting in favor of iOS. Since a low of about 32% in the first quarter of 2018, iOS has steadily regained marketshare to take 44% of the whole in the most recent March period, CIRP claims (PDF link). Android gobbled up the remaining 56%.
"U.S. operating system market shares have varied slightly in the past few years, but have remained remarkably stable," said Josh Lowitz, partner and co-founder of CIRP. "Android has typically had a somewhat greater share, but shares have not varied considerably.
As expected from a saturated market like the U.S., new users appear responsible for negligible churn for the two smartphone leaders. Data suggests switchers are the new prize.
CIRP notes 89% of Android users and 91% of iOS users stuck with their current operating system in the most recent March quarter. That slight imbalance was also evident in 2019, a year in which relative iOS activations began to recover from the low suffered in 2018.
Overall, however, fluctuations in marketshare are nuanced, indicating high levels of loyalty for both iOS and Android.
"Operating system loyalty is stable at very high levels," added Mike Levin, partner and co-founder of CIRP. "For the past four or so years, around 90% of new mobile phone activations stayed with the buyer's previous operating system. Despite Apple's efforts to attract Android users to iOS, and Android handset manufacturers' similar efforts to attract iPhone customers, operating system usage is among the stickiest of all consumer affinities."
Today's data was gleaned from a survey of 500 subjects polled in April.
In its report, CIRP argues Apple and Google must join forces to create a COVID-19 contact tracing app to help U.S. agencies monitor and track transmission of the deadly virus.
The companies announced initial steps toward such a solution earlier today, noting development of specialized APIs and operating system-level integrations that will enable both iOS and Android devices to track the spread of COVID-19 via Bluetooth communications. The tech giants underscored the joint system is built on principles of user privacy.
Apple and Google's contact tracing project is expected to launch as an app in mid-May, which is to be followed by operating system integrations at a later date.
Source: CIRP
While Apple and Google share a "stable duopoly" in smartphone user share, the scales are slowly shifting in favor of iOS. Since a low of about 32% in the first quarter of 2018, iOS has steadily regained marketshare to take 44% of the whole in the most recent March period, CIRP claims (PDF link). Android gobbled up the remaining 56%.
"U.S. operating system market shares have varied slightly in the past few years, but have remained remarkably stable," said Josh Lowitz, partner and co-founder of CIRP. "Android has typically had a somewhat greater share, but shares have not varied considerably.
As expected from a saturated market like the U.S., new users appear responsible for negligible churn for the two smartphone leaders. Data suggests switchers are the new prize.
CIRP notes 89% of Android users and 91% of iOS users stuck with their current operating system in the most recent March quarter. That slight imbalance was also evident in 2019, a year in which relative iOS activations began to recover from the low suffered in 2018.
Overall, however, fluctuations in marketshare are nuanced, indicating high levels of loyalty for both iOS and Android.
"Operating system loyalty is stable at very high levels," added Mike Levin, partner and co-founder of CIRP. "For the past four or so years, around 90% of new mobile phone activations stayed with the buyer's previous operating system. Despite Apple's efforts to attract Android users to iOS, and Android handset manufacturers' similar efforts to attract iPhone customers, operating system usage is among the stickiest of all consumer affinities."
Today's data was gleaned from a survey of 500 subjects polled in April.
In its report, CIRP argues Apple and Google must join forces to create a COVID-19 contact tracing app to help U.S. agencies monitor and track transmission of the deadly virus.
The companies announced initial steps toward such a solution earlier today, noting development of specialized APIs and operating system-level integrations that will enable both iOS and Android devices to track the spread of COVID-19 via Bluetooth communications. The tech giants underscored the joint system is built on principles of user privacy.
Apple and Google's contact tracing project is expected to launch as an app in mid-May, which is to be followed by operating system integrations at a later date.
Comments
Also: don't you find it telling that Apple and in particular, Steve Jobs has *always* been about switchers? The stats that always seemed to make SJ so happy were those who were new to Macintosh, and those who'd switched from "some other OS". He liked to then underscore those who were purchasing their first Macintosh.
My point being that Apple has 20+ years experience and data about conditions under which customers switch to Apple platforms.
Numbers are still important.
The problem with these charts is Android users buy more iKnockoffs. So 1 Android user can buy 10 iWannabes(2/year) meanwhile an iPhone user is still using their iPhone 6.
This equates to 10 Android sales vs. 1 iPhone sales. In this case, "activations".
Besides which, competition is a good thing. Companies without competition become lazy.
Compelling arguments are explicitly made that because there are other successful platforms to choose from, vendors/devs are not victimized by Apple’s strict control of its platform, having to pay rent to be in the mall, etc. Your position is certainly not established case law.
A mall owner sets the rules for merchants in the mall. McDonald’s doesn’t sell Whoppers, and taco trucks can’t set up in its parking lot. Kroger’s decides which vendors get to pay for its shelf space. Target decides which generic knockoffs it wants to place on its own shelf next to competing vendors. Etc. That there are competing alternatives for all of these retail channels is exactly what makes the behavior not anti-competitive.
We will see.
My position certainly is established by case law. Google was fined $5 billion for -using your analogy- being a mall owner setting rules for merchants in the mall. The courts looked at Google and it's control of Android ecosystem, not their place in the overall smartphone market. I'd be more than willing to bet they are going to look at Apple in the exact same way.
The existence of iOS, Chinese Android forks, Amazon Android forks, and default app choice didn't help Google in their case. I don't think the existence of Android is going to help Apple in theirs. But you're right, we will see.
The fact the EU has not already pulled away from investigating Apple almost a year after revealing the complaints against it, is telling IMO. The presence of other platforms is irrevelant to the EU in such a context. At least at this point in time as the whole antitrust setup within the EU is continually reviewed to better adapt it to (among other things) the digital sphere.
Your analogies are not applicable here as fast food chains have no way of preventing you from visiting competing chains. Apple does exactly that with the purchase of its iDevice hardware. Once in the door, so to speak, you are limited by Apple with regards to do business with competing stores as they are not allowed to exist.
Whether this is actually illegal or not under EU law will have to be decided. There might be an easy solution to have purchasers sign their acceptance of the restrictions at purchase but I doubt that would be accepted either.
All criticism is valid if it is supported with an opinion - based on something and duly supported.
That said, I feel that you have become over sensitive to those opinions that you consider in some way anti-Apple, even when it is based on something.
You should actually review that 'constant stream' and see if it really is a constant stream at all (it isn't) and then take in what is actually being said. Then decide, after reflecting, if it was as off centre as it first appeared to you. Especially paying close attention to what is said in prior comments.
Most (but not all) of the time, you will find things aren't as bad as they seem to.
FWIW, I literally cannot remember the last time anyone spoke of Apple’s demise. It would have been over a decade ago and back then, demise was very much on the radar, at least.
A sad example is my mom buys a new iKnockoff every 6 months and thinks she has an iPhone because it's a touchscreen.
Common sense.
As far as statistics go, look up Android vs. iPhone life cycle.
The statistics used to be 4 years for iPhone vs. 2 years for the iPhoneys. I believe it's closer to 5 years for Apple nowadays. Working at a cell carrier helps understand this but it will still be considered "anecdotal".
Apple should be able to handle it's own products the way it wants.
Mustangs and Camaros are DIFFERENT.
Android is literally a knockoff of Apple's hard work and labor via espionage and illegal patent infringing. Even the touch gestures are 1:1.
I can literally develop a knockoff iPhone and slap android on it and package it as my own product. Even the packaging can be identical. Heck even the software is identical! My knockoff will even run the same apps!
Fortunately, you are in the minority on AI. A very, very vocal minority, but a minority nonetheless. I buy Apple products just like you. Unlike you, I don't describe my existence in terms of Apple. Neither do most people. Most people own products from various companies and they rarely declare fealty to said products.
Thankfully, the vast majority of members I encounter are able to discuss Apple and tech in general with a critical eye that sees the good and bad, the pros and cons, and have the ability to articulate a cogent response. Rarely are your quotes anything more than what you're doing now; complaining about someone not fawning over the precious the way you do. You rarely ever contribute anything of substance or anything informative. You do the same thing when you visit other sites like MR. I've even tried to engage you on a technical, topical level and you seem incapable of that type of interaction. It would be really nice if you started adding something of substance to the threads. I would appreciate it greatly and I am more than sure others would as well. I am sure there's way more to lkrupp than this Apple persecution complex. We'd all love to see it.