Apple’s new iPhone SE might be able to take sales from Android in some emerging markets, but it certainly won’t be able to stem the bleeding in many countries, where Google’s platform continues to rob iOS of its market share.
According to the latest figures, Android is up in China, Europe, and even the U.S. as the iPhone’s share falls.
Apple likes to remind us that its larger iPhones are encouraging Android fans to switch to iOS all the time — more than any other phone Apple has ever sold. But they’re still not doing enough. As demand for the iPhone falls, Android is pouring salt into the wound.
Research firm Kantar Worldpanel has released its latest smartphone platform figures for the three months ending in February 2016, which show Android expanding its reach in several key markets around the world.
In the U.S., Android’s share rose 3.3 percent year-over-year, while iOS and Windows Phone saw their shares fall 0.5 percent and 2.2 percent respectively. Android also grew by 3.4 percent in China — now a key market for Apple — whereas the iPhone’s share fell 3.2 percent.
Android saw its biggest growth in Europe’s big five markets — Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain — where it rose 6.7 percent year-over-year. The iPhone’s share fell 1.8 percent during the same period, while Windows Phone fell 4.2 percent.
Even in Australia, where the iPhone’s share grew by 0.3 percent, Android outpaced it by seeing a 3.8 percent increase. iOS was able to beat Android in Japan, growing 0.4 percent while Google’s platform could only manage 0.3 percent.
Kantar thinks the iPhone SE can make a difference in China, where more affordable smartphones are king. For many, it could finally provide them with entry into the Apple ecosystem. It could also make a surprising impact in the U.S.
“In the US, the average spend on purchasing a smartphone in the three months ending February was $352,” reports Kantar’s Lauren Guenveur.
“This represents a unique opportunity for the newly launched iPhone SE, which, at a $399 price point, will likely appeal to more cost-conscious first-time smartphone buyers who might otherwise be more inclined to pick up an Android smartphone.”
