A study by The NPD Group, a leading market research company, provided us with some interesting Q4 statistics. On the obvious side of things, the number of smartphones sold in Q4 were up, with Android and iPhone accounting for over 90% of those sales. While you probably didn’t need a study to tell you that iOS and Android lead the smartphone market, I bet you weren’t aware that Android was actually a favorite among first time buyers.
According to the NPD study, 57% of first time smartphone buyers chose an Android device. This is interesting considering the reputation iOS has for being simple, consistent, and easy to use, versus the “fragmented” Android UI. It most likely has to do with the large selection of devices and carriers that feature Android, along with the numerous deals found during the holiday season.
Overall, more Android smartphones were sold in Q4 than Apple, however, Apple took the lead as the best-selling U.S. handset brand, beating out both Samsung and LG. The iPhone 4S was the top selling handset of Q4, followed closely by its brothers the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS.
Just more statistics to show us that smartphones sales continue to rise and Android and Apple continue to dominate the mobile market. Expect this to be the trend for a very long time as no other brand seems to even exist when compared to these two mobile powerhouses.
Source: NPD
