Sales of the iPhone dropped in the U.S. during the second quarter, but sales grew in Europe as well as China, Japan and Australia, according to research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech’s report released Wednesday.
The research firm further clarifies that the five big markets where iPhone sales grew in Europe are Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. iPhone sales grew by 2.1% relative to the same quarter last year across Europe, whereas growth in the UK was the strongest at 5.5%.
“Apple iOS returned to growth across all of Europe’s ‘big five’ markets, as it recorded its first year-on-year gain in France since February 2015,” reported Carolina Milanesi, chief of research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. “In the U.S., as we forecasted last month, Android’s growth continued in the quarter ending June 30, with both Samsung and LG increasing their share sequentially. Forty-three percent of all Android buyers mentioned a ‘good deal on the price of the phone’ as the main purchase driver for their new device.”
Why iPhone sales were down in the US
Of note, sales of iPhone went down in the U.S. during the second quarter, dropping by 2.3%. The reason for this is the growth of Android, with Samsung and LG as the big players gaining market share. Samsung and LG now account for a whopping 78% of all Android sales. Also when it comes to the iPhone, it’s just one phone with a high price tag, especially for the unlocked version, and with Android, companies like Samsung and LG can price their smartphones attractively and can also target budget-conscious consumers.
Milanesi said “LG is the real success story of the quarter. Not only did it double its share of the U.S. smartphone market once again, but it was also able, for the first time, to acquire more first-time smartphone buyers than Samsung.”
In conclusion, we can say that the smartphone industry is highly competitive and everyone is trying hard to crave out market share. For end users, competition is always good as it leads to better products and lower prices.
