iPhone boosts T-Mobile's sales share, while Apple breaks even with Android in Japan

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Strong sales of the iPhone aren't just proving beneficial for Apple, they're also helping out formerly struggling carriers that have picked up Apple's bestselling device, according to new figures from Kantar Worldpanel.



Kantar Worldpanel released two new reports on Monday, one showing that the iPhone was responsible for a significant uptick in the smartphone sales share of carrier T-Mobile in the three months ending August 2013. T-Mobile launched the iPhone on its network in April of this year alongside a rebranding of its services as an "UNcarrier" offering "no-contract" services.

Those two factors combined, Kantar's figures show, led to T-Mobile's share of smartphone sales in the U.S. market growing to 13.2 percent, up 1.1 percentage points from the previous period.

"When iOS first debuted on T-Mobile in mid-April, the majority of sales came from consumers upgrading from a featurephone to their first smartphone," said Kantar director Dominic Sunnebo. "However, looking at those who purchased an iPhone in the August period, 56% of those consumers came from another smartphone, including 38.5% from an Android device."

Kantar's figures align with previous reports from T-Mobile, which hailed a "gangbusters" first day of iPhone sales after launch. In the three months ending August 2013, the iPhone 5 was the top-selling smartphone at T-Mobile, with 17.1 percent of sales. The launch of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on that network may extend Apple's share even further.

iPhone at 40% of U.S. market, even with Android in Japan

Kantar's other report focused more generally on market share, finding that the iPhone held 39.3 percent of smartphone sales in the United States market for the three months ending August 2013. This figure, too, was even before the record breaking launch of the iPhone 5s and 5c in September. Kantar believes Apple's share will almost certainly spike in its next examination of the market.

In Japan, Apple is just ahead of the Android platform, with Apple holding a 48.6 percent share to Android's 47.4. Apple could open up a wide lead, though, thanks to the iPhone's arrival on NTT DoCoMo, the country's largest carrier.

Kantar's report also looked at the fortunes of other smartphone platforms, finding that Microsoft's Windows Phone platform is approaching a double-digit market share across the five major European markets. In Germany, Windows Phone is within one percentage point of iOS. Microsoft's growth in this arena is fueled in large part by Nokia's low-end Lumia handsets, which are popular among 16 to 24 year-olds and 35 to 49 year-olds.

Troubled Canadian manufacturer BlackBerry remains in a tailspin, according to Kantar's figures. The erstwhile leader in mobile productivity now stands at a 1.8 percent share in the United States and a 2.4 percent share across the major European markets.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    Quite staggering, all from one company. Japan and China are the two I think we should see flourish this year (iPhone year, not calendar).
  • Reply 2 of 16
    512ke512ke Posts: 782member

    EDITED: DELETED POST.  Never mind.  I was complaining about how incredibly successful Apple is, and yet how every bit of astoundingly good news sends APPL lower.  But why comment?  It's like trying to stop the wind.

  • Reply 3 of 16

    So what we have ...

     

    iOS = Apple

    Windows Phone = Nokia

    Android = Everybody else

    BBOS = Death throws

  • Reply 4 of 16
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    But but but there is no growth. Just goes to show you analysts are drunk guessers.
  • Reply 5 of 16
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    I wonder how many of Nokia's Lumina phone sales are from people who mainly want a Nokia product? We know that no other Win Phone manufacturer has anything other than a pittance of sales, including Samsung. If true, we could see sales reverses in the Lumina line as more people decide to not buy a Microsoft phone as opposed to buying a Nokia phone. This could take a couple of quarters to see.
  • Reply 6 of 16
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheUnfetteredMind View Post

     

    So what we have ...

     

    iOS = Apple

    Windows Phone = Nokia

    Android = Everybody else

    BBOS = Death throws


     

    If Apple released an 5inch (or something in that general size), in March, and they signed up China Mobile, I think Apple would probably get darn near 40 to 45% worldwide..

  • Reply 7 of 16
    I love how Kevin is cherry picking data to make Apple seem more important than it is. See John Leger's midyear press conference - the iPhone is *not* the main why T-Mobile is doing better (though it doesn't hurt either.) He takes the fact that Kantar mentions it as a factor to make the headline claim that it is *the* factor.

    Next I notice the 3 months ending in August figures. Over 50% were upgrades from other smartphones but only 38.5% (presumably of that 50% ) from Android? I know there can't be that many Windows and Blackberry phone users so guess what the vast majority of iPhone buyers were upgrading from? Yep, from older iPhones!

    I know iPhones are great devices (and I'm saying this despite vastly preferring Android) but they are just not the single most important device in the world.
  • Reply 8 of 16
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    aware wrote: »
    I love how Kevin is cherry picking data to make Apple seem more important than it is. See John Leger's midyear press conference - the iPhone is *not* the main why T-Mobile is doing better (though it doesn't hurt either.) He takes the fact that Kantar mentions it as a factor to make the headline claim that it is *the* factor.

    Next I notice the 3 months ending in August figures. Over 50% were upgrades from other smartphones but only 38.5% (presumably of that 50% ) from Android? I know there can't be that many Windows and Blackberry phone users so guess what the vast majority of iPhone buyers were upgrading from? Yep, from older iPhones!

    I know iPhones are great devices (and I'm saying this despite vastly preferring Android) but they are just not the single most important device in the world.

    I think you read this wrong. 56% were from from smartphones including 38% from android. Not 38% of the 56% but 38 + WinMob + BBRY + iOS = 56%.

    38% of all iPhone buyers were from Android = 67% of those who switched from another smartphone were former Android users. .
  • Reply 9 of 16

    Everyone remember when Japanese phones used to be the envy of the world? Now 2 cell phone OSes made in America dominate Japan. I'm glad we are still good at something. Well, iOS is good anyway. 

  • Reply 10 of 16
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AWare View Post



    I love how Kevin is cherry picking data to make Apple seem more important than it is. See John Leger's midyear press conference - the iPhone is *not* the main why T-Mobile is doing better (though it doesn't hurt either.) He takes the fact that Kantar mentions it as a factor to make the headline claim that it is *the* factor.



    Next I notice the 3 months ending in August figures. Over 50% were upgrades from other smartphones but only 38.5% (presumably of that 50% ) from Android? I know there can't be that many Windows and Blackberry phone users so guess what the vast majority of iPhone buyers were upgrading from? Yep, from older iPhones!



    I know iPhones are great devices (and I'm saying this despite vastly preferring Android) but they are just not the single most important device in the world.

     

     

     

    It seems disingenuous to somehow claim the iPhone is not the main reason T-Mobile is doing better.  I say this because as a long time T-Mobile user, I can say it has continuously pointed to the lack of the iPhone as the number one reason it was losing customers. It has done this in its SEC statements. Now it has the iPhone, and we are to believe that because T-Mobile's CEO suggested otherwise in an off the cuff remark in a press conference its all the sudden raising fortunes cannot be tied to the iPhone? 

     

    I understand T-Mobile has come out with some innovative plans and marketing lately that are appealing, but these plans were timed to debut with the iPhone. They also do not lower the cost of entry on T-Mobile, as T-Mobile has always had cost effective plans, but merely do away with contracts. I have brought two iPhone users to T-Mobile once their AT&T contracts ended. Without the iPhone, they were not switching.

     

    T-Mobile's CEO hardly is going to give Apple all the credit in a T-Mobile press conference for its beginning turn around. I, however, am going to believe the SEO statements and numbers. In Q2 of 2013, T-Mobile reported 4.3 million smartphone sales. In less than a year on T-Mobile, 29 percent of those sales were iPhones. That is a pretty quick adoption of the iPhone on a largely up until recently heavily Android network, and it is obviously having a big positive effect on T-Mobile's bottom line. 

     

    As far as the iPhone not being the most important phone in the world, I am unsure what metric you are using. As an eco system, iOS trails Android in many markets, but what do you expect for a supposedly free OS that spans a range of phones? However, as a single device the iPhone has been the number one selling phone since its release (except in 2007). Moreover, it certainly is a trend setter. Whatever, Apple does, others try to emulate or beat Apple to the punch. 

  • Reply 11 of 16
    Everyone remember when Japanese phones used to be the envy of the world? Now 2 cell phone OSes made in America dominate Japan. I'm glad we are still good at something. Well, iOS is good anyway. 

    It was 2 prong, the cell phones coupled with services offered by the carriers.
  • Reply 12 of 16
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by PhilBoogie View Post



    Quite staggering, all from one company. Japan and China are the two I think we should see flourish this year (iPhone year, not calendar).

     

    While Japan and China may be geographically close, you couldn't find two more different markets for smart phones.  

     

    I've just come back from an extended trip in both countries and while one sees iPhones everywhere in Japan, in China they are fairly uncommon.   I believe Apple will continue to do well in Japan; China is far more complicated.  

     

    China is dominated by Samsung and local brands like Coolpad (Yulong), Lenovo, Huawei, ZTE and Xiaomi.  Apple seems to be viewed positively in most of China, albeit less positively than it used to be, but in Hong Kong there has been a sharp reduction in Apple usage, and a significant proportion of iPhones are being used by maids (possibly hand-me-downs from their employers), with most of the wealthy using Samsung Notes and S4s.    

     

    On the mainland, IPhones are purchased by the increasing number of wealthy individuals and even given as business presents. However, most of the population could not reasonably afford a 5C or 5S.   The variety and specs of the phones offered by local companies are surprisingly good, Xiaomi for example, is an interesting company to watch, with some decent phones and seem novel marketing approaches.  I can't see Apple making much of a dent in the low to mid price categories.  The addition of China Mobile as a partner will help Apple, but not to the extent that most people believe.  Most just can't afford them, and anyone who absolutely had to have an iPhone has switched to China Telecom or China Unicom.

     

    I believe Apple will continue to sell to the premium end of the market, but will be hard pressed to grow beyond fifth place (they're presently in 7th place) with 4.8% of the market.  If they can grab 7-8% of the market they will be doing very well.

  • Reply 13 of 16
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by PhilBoogie View Post



    Quite staggering, all from one company. Japan and China are the two I think we should see flourish this year (iPhone year, not calendar).

     

    I believe next year will become "year of the iPhone" in China.  Will it replace the horse?

    :D 

  • Reply 14 of 16
    slewisslewis Posts: 2,081member

    Good for T-Mobile. I plan to switch to them this year when I upgrade to the 5s, because: unlimited everything @ $70/month + tax, no contract, on LTE. Just buy the phone outright (which as a rule, I prefer anyway) or pay them off month-to-month if you prefer that. Why wouldn’t I at least give them a shot?

  • Reply 15 of 16
    In Germany, Windows Phone is within one percentage point of iOS.

    That is a pretty interesting figure. Windows Phone doing almost as well as the iPhone in Germany?
  • Reply 16 of 16
    poksipoksi Posts: 482member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by BestKeptSecret View Post





    That is a pretty interesting figure. Windows Phone doing almost as well as the iPhone in Germany?

     

    Yes. This is because iPhone share is by far the lowest among relatively rich countries. Germans as buyers are weak in consideration of soft factors and are very responsive for getting software for free or at least inexpensive. THey also have very large proportion of using open source solutions, especially in public service.

     

    I remember reading the smartphone share chart recently somewhere. It said Android has staggering 78% of the market, which is hard to understand if you realize they have very good contract deals.

Sign In or Register to comment.