New Strategy Analytics Research - iOS Gains Solid United States Market Share in Q2 2012, Android Declines

The latest research from Strategy Analytics points to a general decline in total sales of smartphone shipments, as well as a decline in Android market share. Bucking the trend, however, was Apple, which gained market share, jumping from 23 to 33 percent year over year for Q2. Smartphone shipments fell five percent overall annually to reach 24 million units in the United States during the second quarter of 2012. Interestingly, Apple itself missed analyst expectations for its recently ended fiscal Q3 2012, which may have affected market numbers overall, though Apple managed to gain market share.

The Android operating system lost ground to Apple iOS and Android's market share fell four points on an annual basis from 61 to 56 percent. The drop in Android market share – which is fed by numerous vendors (unlike Apple’s one man iOS show) was not anticipated, though with Samsung now selling its new Galaxy S III in large numbers (over 10 million of them since it was introduced in early June 2012), that may temporarily change the share numbers yet again – at least until the new iPhone ships.

Alex Spektor, associate director at Strategy Analytics, observed that, "The current drop in overall smartphone sales was one of the slowest growth rates ever experienced by the important US smartphone market. A volatile economy, maturing penetration of smartphones among contract mobile subscribers, and major operators tightening their upgrade policies to enhance profits were among the main causes of the slowdown." 

As the accompanying chart shows, Strategy Analytics estimates that Android shipped 13.4 million smartphones for 56 percent share of the United States market in the second quarter of 2012. This is down from 15.3 million units shipped and 61 percent share a year earlier. Android still remains the number one platform by volume in the United States, but its market share looks to be possibly approaching a peak. Apple's U.S. market share, however, has risen by ten points from 23 percent in Q2 2011 to 33 percent in Q2 2012.

Echoing other recent market surveys, the Strategy Analytics report also notes that Blackberry's smartphone market share in the United States continues to slump - dropping four points, from 11 percent to seven percent over the past year, its lowest level in recent history. With Research in Motion having now postponed any new device releases to 2013, BlackBerry’s future remains extremely cloudy.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is preparing for a full-on Windows 8 blitz, which includes its new, very cool Surface Tablets, the release of Windows Phone 8 and new mobile devices based on it, and of course the full enterprise and consumer versions of Windows 8. October 2012 is going to be a very interesting time as Microsoft will likely go head to head with whatever Apple has up its sleeve – at the very least the new iPhone and possibly a smaller version of the iPad. Don’t expect Apple to take a market share hit however. Windows is very likely to show new market strength – however all of it will come at Android’s expense – especially in the enterprise.

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