This achievement is all the more remarkable considering that Apple has never held even a small portion of the smartphone market since the early days of the iPhone, when Nokia, Motorola, Android, and Blackberry predominated. Since 2010, Google has retained the position of being the dominating force in the global smartphone market share, according to Engadget, with more than 70% as of 2022. (according to Statcounter). But as the statistics show, there has been a noticeable trend in the last four years of Android users switching to iOS devices, thus this seems to be steadily turning in favour of the iPhone.
For the first time since 2010, there are now more Apple iPhones than Android-based phones in use among American consumers. With a 50% market share claim in the United States, the iPhone surpassed the Android ecosystem in June of last year, according to statistics compiled by Counterpoint Research. According to data from the Financial Times, which includes the “Active Installed Base,” which takes into account both the purchase of new and used iPhones, Apple has reached its highest-ever percentage of the U.S. smartphone market with this milestone. This information arrives just before the eagerly anticipated launch of the iPhone 14, which is certain to increase interest in (and market share for) the company.
Highlights
“Operating systems are like religions — never significant changes. But over the past four years the flow has consistently been Android to iOS,” Counterpoint’s research director, Jeff Fieldhack, says. “This is a big milestone that we could see replicated in other affluent countries across the globe.” Apple is expected to unveil the new iPhone and Apple Watch Series at its “Far Out” media event tomorrow, Wednesday, September 7.
Although Google (through the Android operating system) currently controls over 70% of the global market with around 150 other brands, this percentage has decreased by 7% during 2018, while the iPhone’s market share increased from less than 20% to nearly 25% during that same time. Although the change may not be as abrupt as that witnessed in the American markets, it is nonetheless an outstanding trend that undoubtedly indicates the expansion of the Apple device(s) in China and other markets. Additionally, it is considerably more difficult to switch away from the Apple iOS ecosystem once a user has done so, which may help to explain why iOS users retain themselves much longer thanks to the Active Install Base.