Apple iPhone more popular than all Android smartphones in US combined in Q4: report

January 25, 2012 By Andrew Couts

Apple's iPhone owned more of the US market than all Android-based devices combined during the fourth quarter of 2011, according to a new study from market research firm Kantar.

In the US, Apple’s iPhone has surpassed the smartphone market share of all Android devices combined during the final three months of 2012, according to new numbers out from research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, as reported by Reuters. But the difference is almost invisible: Apple owned 44.9 percent of the market; handsets running Google’s Android operating system owned just 44.8 percent.

Though the difference in popularity may be small, Apple’s growth is anything but. By Kantar’s count, Apple’s market share has doubled over the past year alone, while Android devices have fallen about 5 percent, from a high of 50 percent. Windows Phone devices now account for less than 2 percent, on average, across nine key world markets.

A recent study from Nielsen corroborates Kantar’s numbers. According to Nielsen, 44.5 percent of customers who purchased a smartphone during the last three months of 2012 bought an iPhone, and 57 percent of those buyers got the iPhone 4S, Apple’s newest handset. At that time, Android still remained the No. 1 smartphone category, with 46.9 percent of buyers going for a Google-powered device.

News of Apple’s new-found dominance in the US smartphone game follows the company’s latest quarterly earnings report, which showed record iPhone and iPad sales, and a record revenue of $46.3 billion. Apple sold 37.04 million iPhones during the quarter (which spanned the final three months of 2011), a 128 percent increase over the same period in 2010. And iPad sales jumped 111 percent year-over-year, to 15.43 million.

While Apple’s iPhone sales are staggering, it’s more surprising that the entire Android market put together is failing to beat back a single line of handsets — even if they are Apple handsets. We would be surprised in Android doesn’t surge back into first place over the coming months, as more and more customers go for far faster 4G LTE-enabled devices, which the iPhone 4S is not.

Showing 52 comments

Tony Kolev at 4:29am 26th January 2012 If 46% of Android phone users are less than 30% of iPhone users, or 52% of Android phone sold in 2011 are less than 37% of iPhones sold, only then it is true. In Q4 Apple sold more phones , it is because of iPhone 4S launch. That does not mean that iPhone is more popular, Android phones are sold the whole year, iPhone onpy one month after the launch. Popularity can be measured using the quantity of device owners, not the quantiry of sales of specific quarter. I am , for example, Android user, but i did not bought phone last year, I bought my Nexus One in 2010. This do not make me noandroid user, or iPhone user, I am still Android user and fan. How to count me? Only if you look at number of device owners. Best regards.
1. Vlad Sabau at 7:55am 26th January 2012 Hi guys I just got my iPhone 4s with IOS 5.0 and i can not Jailbreak the phone, BTW i just won the phone from here if I remember correctly, getappleproductsforfree(.)com please help me with a tutorial.
John Pfund at 11:41am 25th January 2012 Guys, apple aims their products at dumb people... why would you even try to argue when you know you're just going to get dumb brainwashed responses? "apple knows what the consumer wants" = bullsh**, reality = "Apple tells you what u want and force feeds it to you so you think you want it"
1. TechFreak at 12:11pm 25th January 2012 So I am a dumb person because I have an Apple iPhone? Thanks for that. I bought an iPhone because I wanted a speaker dock. And it's compatible with my car. Oh, and I can Facetime my wife who has an iPhone too. What's wrong with that?
  1. iMan at 1:28pm 25th January 2012 Appe doesn't "force feed" you anything
    
    TechFreak at 2:43pm 25th January 2012 I agree, John is a moron IMO
    
    iMan at 2:46pm 25th January 2012 This guy is not even proving a point
Darrell Smith at 7:26pm 25th January 2012 Ron Paul 2012 - the phone call for Liberty.
John Greenlee at 7:17pm 25th January 2012 Isn't this why we have computers? Really I just need a phone to make phone calls and since the invention of text messaging that to. I have a iPhone now, and it's been a good phone. Of course it messes up sometimes but it can always be fixed. I'm sure android based phones do the same. When it comes down to it does it really matter? It's just a phone, do you think people were arguing over whether pulse dial was better then rotary dial? All they cared was if it made phones calls or not. And for the dumbing down of society, well all of you are idiots for arguing over phones. That's dumbing down of society. I'm sure you will all chime in about how stupid I am, but really did you even care about cell phones until society decided they needed to get in contact with you at all times and then the corporation provided them with a tool to do so?
Michson Huynh at 7:05pm 25th January 2012 So 5 years ago when the majority had basic phones and now the majority has smartphones thanks to apple, America is becoming more dumb? Why? Cuz they didn't go the android route? Yeah great proof jake5150
1. Prime3 at 5:54am 26th January 2012 the majority have smartphones thanks to apple? you've got to be kidding yourself. the majority have smartphones thanks to android just like the majority had cell phones thanks to nokia before that. nokia brought mobile communication to the masses, reaching every corner of the world and now android is doing the same thing with smartphones.
Sean Bristoll at 6:59pm 25th January 2012 Android POWER, need I even mention the last iPhone update that came out? Or the tiny screen? Or no expandable memory? Or iTunes? Etc...
1. LetsReason at 11:44am 25th January 2012 I would tout those shortcomings as well. I find it interesting that Apple waves their Jedi hand and says, "You don't want another size screen." and cult members repeat, "This screen is just the right size." Apple waves their Jedi hand and says, "You don't need any more memory than what we sold you." and cult members regurgitate, "We have just the right amount of memory we need." Apple waves their Jedi hand and says, "iTunes is the end all player/store and you do not need to let others use your device." and cult members put up with having to go through all of Apple's loops and tricks to share files with others. I am an elementary music teacher. When we have music to practice for a performance, I put practice versions on their mp3 players and phones. Poor iPhone and iPod kids. I can't help them because I would have to erase their device to put something on it from my computer. Oh yeah...I'll put it on a CD or USB drive, you take it home and convince your parents to put it on your Apple device through their iTunes on their computer. What a waste.
jake5150 at 10:52am 25th January 2012 Well if you need proof about the dumding down of America.......here it is .
Michson Huynh at 6:45pm 25th January 2012 That cricket android is soooo awesome though
Michson Huynh at 6:43pm 25th January 2012 1500 phones later and android is finally doing alright. Congrats guys. iPhone only 4 phones in
1. LetsReason at 7:12am 26th January 2012 Apple is only five iterations in on it's phone because of it's marketing, not the product. More accurate, Google is not keeping up with the marketing. The phones have been surpassing iPhone standards for a while.
Michson Huynh at 6:41pm 25th January 2012 Android users are the biggest cry babies. Whens the last time any iPhone users pointed out flaws in android? Do you, and don't worry what others have
1. Douglas Ford at 11:05am 25th January 2012 I do own iOS products for development purposes and honestly I am not a fan, they are buggy and flawed in their own ways. :P
  1. TechFreak at 11:13am 25th January 2012 Im sure no worse than Android...
    
    Douglas Ford at 11:18am 25th January 2012 The Android OS is pretty mild in it's flaws, blame the device manufacturers that defile the stock Android OS with their bloated roms and create problems. But yes compared to most Android devices, the iPhone itself is just as buggy and flawed in it's own way. :)
    
    TechFreak at 12:10pm 25th January 2012 I figured both would have their pluses and minuses. If I were an Android developer, I would get tired of messing with all the different screen resolutions their devices have.
    
    Douglas Ford at 12:17pm 25th January 2012 Screen resolution isn't that big a deal actually, the many different odds and ends on the device manufacturers different versions of Android sometimes create problems though. But I guess you gotta work if you want to get paid, can't just expect to publish an app on an app market, not ever touch it, and two years later expect to be rolling in the dough, these things take work (thus is the life cycle of an app). I worked on apps for a device manufacturer as well as general purpose apps myself. :)
    
    Douglas Ford at 12:21pm 25th January 2012 I mean the custom skins the device manufacturers produce, they are actually altering the stock version of Android x.x.x and adding and removing things to get it to work with their device, as well as updating their custom skin. If device manufacturers didn't create custom skins, we would have much less problems with our devices, as well as much faster updates to new versions of the Android OS. :)
    
    LetsReason at 7:16am 26th January 2012 Tis true. It is the easy way out (technically) to force anyone who buys into your marketing to accept and single standard with no variety of taste. Chinese manufacturing at it's best. I kind of see a juxtaposition of Wal-Mart clothes to designer clothes. At Wal-Mart (Apple in this case), everyone gets basically the same mass produced clothes. If a person goes designer, the clothes are a little more challenging to make, but you get a more unique outfit. Maybe that carries over to Apple users compared to non-Apple users? I dunno. ;-)
  2. Nkzi at 8:22pm 25th January 2012 There buggy because your testing betas dummy. Use iOS 5.0.1 not iOS 5.1 it's in beta if you are too mad at betas that are stil being worked out there going to be buggy and flawed yeah u know that 70 percent of all phones hacked are android and apple has 44.9 and android has 44.8 percent you can't say that there are more android phones then iPhones and I tried a s2 skyrocket at AT&T and it crashed so many times and asked the manager they took it in and just said it was buggy. Can't do anything get an android it will kill you I agree with michson Douglas ford
    
    Douglas Ford at 9:06pm 25th January 2012 Honestly your grammar is so bad its hard to tell the point you are trying to get across (I think you are saying Android is buggy, but I could be wrong, half of your sentences sound like something one my friend's kids wrote when they were still in elementary school, lol). Well if you are saying I am using a beta iOS version, you are wrong. I have production devices, but I use them for development purposes (web apps mainly, but I take them home and use them on and off to ensure I am 100% familiar with how all devices work overall since I am responsible for all software development at our company). As for the Galaxy S2 being "buggy", probably just a bad device, much of our IT staff use Galaxy S2's from T-Mobile or Sprint, and they all love them (haven't seen the Skyrocket on AT&T, but the build isn't much different from other Galaxy S2s). I personally am NOT a fan of the Galaxy line since Samsung is bad about keeping their devices up to date with other devices. Well either way, if you don't like Android, get an iPhone, I don't care. :)
Digital Trends at 6:32pm 25th January 2012 Amazon FTW with music
Ryan Lewis at 6:22pm 25th January 2012 ugh, don't remind me about iTunes. How anyone can tolerate using that is beyond me.
Ryan Lewis at 5:43pm 25th January 2012 Whenever someone asks if they should get an iPhone or Android i tell them that if they need to ask, then get an iPhone...it will be more than enough for what THEY need it for. You'll never see me with one though....rooted Android FTW..
Louie WorldPeace Cañedo at 5:20pm 25th January 2012 all the carriers except Tmo are carrying it now and Apple has done a masterful job of convincing noobs that they NEED an iPhone. Android users know what's up. The iPhone may sell more because everything is catered to them but true tech geeks always go Android
1. LetsReason at 11:37am 25th January 2012 "Android users know what's up."--I am an Android user and technically savvy. But I don't like these kinds of comments. It simply does not ring true. My "uncle-in-law", great guy, was using a lower end Android phone and basically used it like an iPhone--just the basics as people told him. When I moved to the Galaxy Nexus (and I'm not sold that this is as great as I expected), I gave him my old Droid X. I showed him a couple of things "outside the box" in the system and now he is going crazy learning and exploring his phone! I think Android has plenty of naive users as well. We should not give any special credit to someone because of the phone they purchased. Not all iPhone users are cult members and not all Android users are technically savvy.
Dean Evan Gordon at 5:17pm 25th January 2012 And everyone followed the herd
Louie Cañedo at 9:17am 25th January 2012 People have been hypnotized by Apple. So many people feel if they are upgrading their handsets they NEED an iPhone even though that device has specs of last years Android devices. I thought for a minute that I had to have the iPad 3 until i slapped myself
1. Ian Bell at 10:06am 25th January 2012 I think that's ridiculous. No one is being hypnotized. I think most people just do not care about specs as much as usability. Most people want a phone that is easy to use, and quite frankly is recommended by their friends. And there are more people recommending an iPhone that any other single phone (i'm not talking about Android OS, but the physical phone itself). People are also tied into iTunes and therefore simply get the iPhone because it supports that.
Ankit Das at 5:15pm 25th January 2012 Apple fruit?
Todd Fisher at 5:14pm 25th January 2012 And Ke$ha's “Tik-Tok” sold more copies than ANY Beatles single... Quanity doesn't mean it doesn't suck!
1. Douglas Ford at 12:22pm 25th January 2012 I am actually going to be using that song in our wedding! LOL
LetsReason at 8:00am 25th January 2012 This is merely an example of how Apple has the psychology of the consumer in their pocket. Clearly, the iPhone is inferior in a number of ways to comparably priced phones on the market, but people are convinced that because Apple has a larger market, they will be happier with the iPhone. This is a good business model by Apple and other would do well to emulate/learn. For me, I would NEVER consider a device that suggested, "You do it my way...or no way." I cannot stand the static icon filled pages. I want current information at a glance with a choice to open the app if I wanted more. But I support their effort. Let them grab the market share by a hair's breadth. That just means that for me, there will me many more new ideas to choose from as the rest of the world battles to regain that .1%. Charge on Apple...charge on. I love what you have done for my Android phones.
1. Gr8Music at 11:12am 25th January 2012 You are right! Apple DOES know their customer's wants and needs very well and this is what sets them apart. Even though the 'Roid is inferior in a number of ways, it is still a better option than WP7.5 or RIM. NOW that Apple has a larger market because the promise of the 'Roid failed, by your thinking even more people will convince themselves that iOS is the better product. For me, I would never consider a device that's so convoluted that it's difficult to use. I just want to get the information I want in an app and not get bombarded with random crap. But I do realize that the competition of the 'Roid has made iOS a better product that's far more elegant to use. I just hope the gimmicks like 4G and big screens that make the handset too large for the kiddie crowd don't influence Apple to make the same mistakes.
  1. LetsReason at 11:25am 25th January 2012 I guess mocking someone else's ideas is the best you got. Repeating my points about Apple and turning them at me does not make your point at all. You simply are wrong. "NOW that Apple has a larger market because the promise of the 'Roid failed" The "promise of Android" has not failed anyone. It is an open system and has done wonderfully. Apple has their consumer base because of intelligent marketing concepts. They produce eye candy looking devices and convince the public that it is everything they will ever need. The naive public buys the message and then the phone. It IS a simple phone and simple people want exactly that. But is it NOT offering everything someone might want. The issue is that they have not realized it until they are sucked into the cult of Apple. "But I do realize that the competition of the 'Roid has made iOS a better product that's far more elegant to use." -- Apple has done little to learn from Google (or Microsoft). It all seems nice now, but as the market moves, they will find themselves catching up. Customers will see that a bunch of icons on a desktop is slow and inefficient and begin looking at and appreciating true multi-tasking that allows widgets to provide up-to-the-minute information at a glance. The iOS itself is eye candy, nothing more. The functionality of the OS is actually odd when you go under the hood. Even iOS users have a hard time telling me how to adjust their iPad or iPhone away from what Apple tells them they need. "I just want to get the information I want in an app and not get bombarded with random crap." --I do not get bombarded with "random crap". But I do have all of the information important to me quickly available at a glance without having to open up programs and navigate to wherever my OS decided it was important for it to be.
    
    Gr8Music at 11:39am 25th January 2012 Calm down dude - your silly one-sided response demands to be mocked. You should realize that other opinions exist and apparently what you want, the now MINORITY of people also want. The 3 members of my family with 'Roids like them, but will admit they're too complicated - they can't even work the others phones (different brands/carriers) while any iPhone user can work any iPhone. It's the little things that make it simpler to use every day, not twirling widgets the kiddies stare at for hours catching the latest LOL update. There are only 3 things I need to see "up to the minute" email, calendar and phone calls; the rest of the crap can wait. Life's too short.
    
    LetsReason at 11:54am 25th January 2012 "The 3 members of my family with 'Roids like them, but will admit they're too complicated - they can't even work the others phones (different brands/carriers) while any iPhone user can work any iPhone."--I guess that is to the point of those who prefer to have choice. The iPhone is stuck..."I use mine and it looks like yours and we're all one big happy cult...er...family". "It's the little things that make it simpler to use every day, not twirling widgets the kiddies stare at for hours catching the latest LOL update" --You make little sense. The next two things you say you need "up-to-the-minute" are perfectly answered with widgets. And as you pointed out, many other opinions are that they appreciate having the information readily available. "Smart phones" is actually antiquated already. These devices are more computers that happen to make phone calls as well. And the iOS approach to static icons on a desktop is antiquated. Be sure not to squint too hard as you read your calendar and email on your iPhone. It is the perfect size for that, btw.
2. TechFreak at 11:14am 25th January 2012 Goes to show that its not all about specs right? Apple does know what their customers want and they deliver.
  1. LetsReason at 11:30am 25th January 2012 "Goes to show that its not all about specs right? Apple does know what their customers want and they deliver." --I think there is some truth to that. In many ways, Apple does deliver what their customers come to expect/want. It is a great company at what it does! But I think it is as much about how Apple convinces people that others are wrong and they are all the customer needs. "Trust me. Don't look behind the curtain." and people comply. I will never deny that Apple does some good things and is an innovator. I'm glad they are there. I would never become a member though. I like this side of the curtain.
    
    Richie at 6:20pm 26th January 2012 LETSREASON Proved a valid point. He is right. Apple is a closed, secured system. While android is alot more open market based, allowing us to download ALOT more applications which are free. The smart ones who follow up and do research into a product will benefit because they read into the specs like a fine comb. The one thing I will give to apple is it's resolution and fast processor. But if you prefer an opportunity to have more free apps and much more of a google experience, android wins. LETSREASON made a smart decision to choose android. And nothing is gonna outrock my Galaxy Nexus =]
iMan at 6:57am 25th January 2012 How is this even possible?!
1. Richie at 6:10pm 26th January 2012 It's Simple *DROID DOES*
  1. iMan at 4:29am 27th January 2012 No, no, the appropriate quote is "It Just Works."
    
    Richie at 7:06am 29th January 2012 I see you picked out the perfect quote for the iPhone. Good job. I'm proud of you =]
    
    iMan at 5:00pm 29th January 2012 You're proud of me?! Haha thanks
    
    Richie at 5:02pm 29th January 2012 Ha Ha You're welcome my friend :D