Android continues grabbing more market share, snagging 51.2 percent of smartphone sales in the United States during the three-month period that ended in February, according to a report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
Apple’s iOS took second place with 43.5 percent of smartphone sales, down 3.5 percent over the last year. That marks Apple’s second consecutive dip in share.
Considering Android and Apple together grabbed almost 94 percent of the total smartphone market in the United States, that left crumbs for Microsoft’s Windows, which accounted for 4.1% of smartphone sales. BlackBerry meanwhile accounted for just .7 percent of smartphones sold during the quarter.
Kantar Worldpanel ComTech analyst Mary-Ann Parlato said in a report that Android’s increases were thanks to a large increase in Samsung sales within Sprint.
“This month, while the increases for Samsung are less pronounced, we’re still seeing an increase in uptake of the brand, which is now impacting on Sprint’s overall share in smartphone sales,” Parlato said.
Kantar attributes Samsung’s price drop at the back end of 2012 that led various smartphone and feature phone users to upgrade to a Samsung device.
Of those who changed their phone over the last year to a Samsung smartphone, 19 percent had previously owned a Samsung feature phone, 15 percent owned a HTC smartphone, 14 percent owned an LG feature phone, 10 percent owned a Samsung smartphone and 9 percent owned a BlackBerry.
“It’s apparent that Samsung is successful at capturing users from across the competitor set and not just gaining from their own loyalists, (albeit loyalty towards Samsung has also grown),” Parlato said.
Filed Under: Carriers, Devices
