In just one year Android went from having 26% of the market to 51% in late 2012. The open source OS continues to flourish, adding over a million users each day.
Another important mark was hit last year: the U.S. wireless market for the first time reached a smartphone majority.
According to market research done by Nielsen, a consumer and media behavior analyst firm, smartphone use increased from 49% to 56%. As far as mobile operating systems go, Android led the way with 52 percent followed by iOS at 35%, BlackBerry at 7%, Windows Phone at 2%, and others at 5%.
It appears that Android is taking over as Apple fatigue sets in. Data is pouring in from all over the word confirming that Apple will have to settle for second place.
Apple Fatigue in Europe
In Britain, Android is claiming more spot light time than iOS. Research done by Informa Telecoms and Media revealed that in a survey of eight leading retailers, the Samsung Galaxy SIII was the most recommended phone.Apple’s iPhone 5 came in second, while other phone developers such as Blackberry and LG accounted for a very small presence. In fact, iPhone was recommended in only two of the eight stores observed.
The study scored phone manufacturers on whether their products were advertised in the store window or inside the store. The researchers then asked the sale assistants to recommend three smartphones or tablets. While both Apple and Samsung had an equal amount of advertising outside and inside the stores, Samsung’s Galaxy SIII and the Galaxy Note II were clear winners when it came to the number of recommendations.
It’s possible that the sales agents’ behavior is correlated to commission acquisition. While, the iPhone 5 is more expensive without the plan and as expensive with a plan as the Galaxy SIII in U.S., Apple has been tightening retails margins abroad to push buyers to Apple stores and online shopping. Still, even if these findings are taken for mere observation it’s hard to argue with real data.
Recent studies indicate that Android claims 36% of the market in England compared to Apple’s 28%. Additional research done by market analysis firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, indicates that in major
European countries, Android holds the majority of the smartphone market, with lowest in Italy at 49.6 percent and highest in Spain at 84.1 percent. As Apple’s popularity wanes in Europe android is quickly emerging as the most popular mobile OS ever.
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Apple Fatigue in China
In China, signs of fatigue are also visible. Apple is losing appeal in some of Asia’s most established markets like Singapore and Hong Kong where the new iPhone 5 is just not catching on like its predecessors did. Researches are saying that the main cause of fading success is the plethora of powerful competing Android phones which offer more variety and versatility to consumers.This development comes as quite a surprise since these markets were some of the strongest for Apple just a few years ago. For instance, in 2010 Singapore claimed more iOS devices per capita than any other place in the world
StatCounter, which analyzes traffic across a network of 3 million websites, indicates that Apple devices are quickly losing traffic share. In Singapore Apple peaked in January of 2012 claiming 72% of network traffic.
This month Apple fell to 50% while Android rose from 20% to 43%. The Hong Kong and Singapore markets are important trend indicators because other key markets across Asia usually follow them. They are also good at predicting trends that will follow in Europe and North America.
Anecdotal Evidence or Trend
Evidence of iPhones losing popularity is not new, Android has been on Apple’s heels for years. However, this time it seems that Apple is going to stay at number two. A year ago iPhones outnumbered other devices on subways and trains in Hong Kong and Singapore. Today the tables are turned. Samsung and HTC Android phones are everywhere.Application developers are also feeling the Android pull with more and more users requesting Android versions. For instance, the web based knowledge base and help desk developer Safeharbor released an Android version of its software this month following numerous requests from its Asian customers.
Why Apple is Withering
What explains the loss of interest? Apple and iPhones are still regarded as a premium brand around the world but it seems the answer lies in simple economics: consumers want diversity, functionality and, of course, a cheaper price tag.Many smartphone users want to stand out from the iPhone crowd. Android phones offers rivaling design, hardware, and software performance. And most importantly, consumers can choose from a large variety of phones instead of picking another cookie-cutter iPhone design.
Others find that Android phones actually offer a better user-experience that is more in line with changing user habits. Samsung phones are higher-powered, have bigger screens for watching videos, and are more technologically innovative – take NFC technology for instance. Finally, Android phones are cheaper. Apple products used to be considered a luxury.
Now iPhone and iPads are becoming as commonplace as iPods. With market saturation Apple products have started to lose their high-end position. If Apple wants to maintain its brand image as a high-end supplier, it should not be surprised that its market will be significantly smaller than Android’s. Luxurious items are by definition less prevalent.
At the moment it seems Apple doesn’t know what to do: defend its brand image as a luxurious tech company or expand its market share by lowering price points. The two are contradictory and one thing is certain – Apple’s market share is not expanding any time soon.
Dmitry MinyaylovAbout the Guest Author:
Dmitry Minyaylov is a web developer and tech writer from Seattle.
