iPhone market share hits all-time high in China

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Why visit the Apple Store when you can get stuff deliver same day?
Apple's Westlake Store in China. Photo: Foster + Partners
Photo: Apple

The iPhone 6 has helped Apple shatter sales records worldwide, and nowhere is it bigger than in China. According to a new report from Kantar, Apple’s smartphone market share in China is at an all-time high of 27.6 percent.

China Mobile accounted for 59 percent of iOS sales in the country from December to February, adding to Apple’s momentum in key international markets. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were two of the three top-selling smartphones in urban China, with Xiaomi’s RedMI Note coming in second.

While Apple market share is up in developing nations, iOS market share shrank year-over-year in the U.S. and Japan. Five other countries also saw losses over the last three months. Look at how much Apple’s market share declined in January and February in seven of the world’s largest markets:

United States from 47.7% to 38.8%
Japan from 60.2% to 49.8%
Germany from 20.9% to 17.4%
Great Britain from 42.0% to 38.6%
France from 23.0% to 21.6%
Italy from 18.3% to 17.5%
Spain from 12.9% to 8.7%

Measuring Apple’s market share year-over-year, though, the company increased in all of the countries above, except the United States and Japan. Apple’s biggest increase came in China, where its market share grew from 17.9 percent to 27.6 percent year-over-year.

Forbes sliced the numbers in Kantar’s report, claiming Apple’s worldwide market share is declining, but things still look really good for Apple. Android’s market share in Europe dropped 2.9 percent points year-over-year, but iOS rose 2.9 percent.

In the U.S., the iPhone 6 remains the top-selling smartphone, with 45 percent of buyers mentioning screen size as the determining factor for purchase. Apple will reveal the full details of its Q2 earnings on April 27 at 2 p.m. Pacific. The company is expected to announce the second-best quarter for iPhone sales ever.

Source: Kantar

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