Nielsen: Android growth outpaces iOS in U.S. amid smartphone adoption boom

A report from market analytics firm Nielsen on Thursday found Android's U.S. growth to outpace Apple's iOS as smartphones accounted for two thirds of all new wireless phone purchases for the first time ever.

According to the report U.S. smartphone penetration continued in the second quarter of 2012 as 54.9 percent of mobile users owned a smart device at the end of June. Contrary to last quarter's report, however, Android accounted for more new users than iOS which lead the segment as Google's OS appeared to be plateauing.

Overall, Android kept its marketshare advantage with 51.8 percent while 34.3 percent of smartphone owners opted for the iPhone. BlackBerry trailed with an 8.1 percent share of the market.

Source: Nielsen

Both Android and iOS showed signs of growth during June resulting in a respective 54.6 percent and 36.3 percent share of recent smartphone buyers. The two operating systems accounted for over 90 percent of the total smartphone market in the U.S. with RIM's BlackBerry lagging far behind with 4 percent as Windows Phone and other platforms combined to take 5 percent.

Source: Nielsen

The highest share of users once again went to Apple among nation's largest smartphone manufacturer with 34 percent of the market. Samsung garnered 17 percent of all Android sales followed by HTC and Motorola which came in with 14 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

139 Comments

jragosta 10472 comments · 17 Years

About 12 years ago

[quote name="AppleInsider" url="/t/151250/nielsen-android-growth-outpaces-ios-in-u-s-apple-remains-largest-smartphone-manufacturer#post_2145740"]A report from market analytics firm Nielsen on Thursday found Android's U.S. growth to outpace Apple's iOS as smartphones accounted for two thirds of all new wireless phone purchases for the first time ever. According to the report U.S. smartphone penetration continued in the second quarter of 2012 as 54.9 percent of mobile users owned a smart device at the end of June. Contrary to last quarter's report, however, Android accounted for more new users than iOS which lead the segment as Google's OS appeared to be plateauing. Overall, Android kept its marketshare advantage with 51.8 percent while 34.3 percent of smartphone owners opted for the iPhone. BlackBerry trailed with an 8.1 percent share of the market.

Source: Nielsen

[/quote] It all depends on how you calculate it. If you look at relative growth rates, Android's share grew by 5.4% while Apple's grew by 5.8%. However, that's not really the issue, either. I really couldn't care less how many people buy Android phones. 'Android' covers everything from feature phones (I provided some examples in a previous thread) through low-end smart phones to high end smart phones like the SIII (which sold a whopping 6 M units during a time period when Apple probably sold 35-40 M units. In the segment where Apple chooses to compete, they're the clear leader. But even THAT isn't the real issue. The real issue is that I've used Android phones and they're garbage. Slow, choppy performance, OS fragmentation, crappy apps, and so on. And of all the Android phones that my family has owned, there was only one that was ever upgradeable (Android 2.2 to 2.3).

lunarmoon 29 comments · 16 Years

About 12 years ago

this is irrelevant. Wins who takes more money home. Apple takes 75% of all revenue on the smartphone market and 85% of all revenue on the tablet market. Android can sell more devices but this is irrelevant.

People who buy the iPhone are people who knows they are buying and iPhone and why they are buying an iPhone. People who buys Android phones are in big part, people who don't even know what android is. They buy a cute phone they see there on the store. These folks buy the phone because they want something modern, or beautiful. They will never buy any application or even bother to visit the store and get something. Many will never know they can do that. This is why Android apps sell six times less than iPhone equivalents. This also explains why Google makes 4 times more revenue from ads on iOS devices compared to Android.

solipsismx 19562 comments · 13 Years

About 12 years ago

Hmm.. I'm getting a growth [U]rate[/U] of 5.83% for iOS [I]on the iPhone[/I] and 5.40% for Android OS. You can calculate growth in different ways but the first thing comes to mind with the term growth is relative to itself from the previous value. edit: Pipped my [B]jragosta[/B]. Bastard!

quadra 610 6685 comments · 16 Years

About 12 years ago

Ok. How is this news? When you flood the market with Android flotsam and jetsam this is what happens.

mike barriault 60 comments · 12 Years

About 12 years ago

[quote name="LunarMoon" url="/t/151250/nielsen-android-growth-outpaces-ios-in-u-s-apple-remains-largest-smartphone-manufacturer#post_2145764"]this is irrelevant. Wins who takes more money home. Apple takes 75% of all revenue on the smartphone market and 85% of all revenue on the tablet market. Android can sell more devices but this is irrelevant. People who buy the iPhone are people who knows they are buying and iPhone and why they are buying an iPhone. People who buys Android phones are in big part, people who don't even know what android is. They buy a cute phone they see there on the store. These folks buy the phone because they want something modern, or beautiful. They will never buy any application or even bother to visit the store and get something. Many will never know they can do that. This is why Android apps sell six times less than iPhone equivalents. This also explains why Google makes 4 times more revenue from ads on iOS devices compared to Android. [/quote] I'd say this is irrelevant as dozens of manufacturers with hundreds of products across numerous form factors just slightly outpace a single manufacturer selling three phones that all fall into the same category, just different price points. If Android [i]weren't[/i] outselling iPhone, something would be seriously wrong.