Europe’s Financial Mess Means Slumping Overseas iPhone Market

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Does talk of the Euro economic crisis make your eyes glaze over? Perhaps this will get your attention: The down European economy is costing the iPhone marketshare as consumers keep a tight hold on their cash. The bright side: the U.S. and U.K. love of everything Apple has become stronger.

According to London-based research firm the Kanter Group, the iPhone 4S is showing signs of consumer resistance in Europe, with the low-priced Android growing at the expense of Apple. In France, Apple’s share of the smartphone market dropped to 20 percent, down from 29 percent. In another instance, Apple’s share of the German market dropped to 22 percent, down from 27 percent.

The Kanter Group also found Google’s Android still dominates much of Europe, where the mobile operating system comprises between 46 and 61 percent of European smartphone sales. An economic crisis fueled by worries over government debt is prompting Europeans to keep “a lid on their expenses,” notes the report.

The figures appear to echo a similar study released last week by consumer research firm the NPD Group. The company said the iPhone and Android account for 82 percent of all smartphones sold. In October, Android-powered smartphones held 52 percent of U.S. smartphone sales while Apple controlled 29 percent of domestic sales.

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