Android vs. iOS: Google's OS Continues to Dominate but iPhone 6 Helps Apple
Android and iOS continue to duke it out as the two most popular mobile operating systems in the world, and while Google's offering holds a dominant lead, the new iPhones have breathed new life into Apple's popularity.
According to market analytics firm Kantar Worldpanel, Android owns a majority of the market in major European countries, China, major Latin American countries and even in the United States. In short, there doesn't seem to be a single region on this planet where Apple's iOS operating system running on the iPhone is more popular than Android. The data covers a three-month period ending in September 2014.
There is a silver lining for Apple, however. It seems that the new iPhones, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus that released in mid-September, have give Apple a surge.
"Our latest data covers the first few days of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus being available in Europe and it is clear that demand has been high for the eagerly awaited new models," says Dominic Sunnebo, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
The new iPhones sport a new thinner, more curved design, but its appeal mostly lies in the fact they're the largest iPhones to date. iPhones before the iPhone 5 had displays under 4 inches, while the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s had 4-inch screens. The new sizes finally give customers a large screen option that was previously only offered by Android. It seems, however, that the more expensive 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, a phablet by industry standards, takes a backseat to the more affordable and pocket-friendly iPhone 6.
"Apple has also experienced market share and volume increases across all major European markets, as well as in China and Australia, in part thanks to the launch of its new handsets. Across Europe's top five markets, the iPhone 6 has outsold the larger iPhone 6 Plus by five-to-one," Sunnebo said.
According to Kantar Worldpanel data, Android commands a 62 percent market share in the United States with iOS coming in second at 33 percent. Microsoft's Windows is the only other smartphone operating system to hold any significant portion of the U.S. market, with 4 percent.
In Europe, Android has 70 percent or more of the markets in France, Spain, Italy and Germany. Great Britain and Australia are the only countries where iOS has garnered a sizable following with a little over 30 percent in both countries. Remember, Kantar Worldpanel's data collection ended before the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were released.
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