Long gone are the days when Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)‘s iPhones would be shucked by smartphone lovers everywhere due to the size of their screen. If you’re willing to go back a couple of years in time you’ll see that most tech lovers that didn’t fit in the “Apple fan-boy” category were swearing not to make the switch from Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL)’s Android to iPhones for one single reason – screen size.
There’s a big reason behind that, pun intended, and that’s the fact that many Android manufacturers such as Samsung, LG and so on were marketing smartphones so large that they were a hair’s breath shy of being called phablets.
Nowadays, with the new iPhones out, that’s no longer an issue. They’re selling phones just as large with all the sparkly technology that comes with the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s logo. This has made plenty of people to switch to the “dark side” and shell out hundreds upon hundreds of dollars for the latest Apple gadget and thus, the iPhone market share has been on a steady growth path in recent months, reaching a 13.6% market share at the end of this year’s third quarter, according to Strategy Analytics.
As you read on about the countries around the world where Apple’s devices are most popular, you won’t find one important name – China. There, the iOS has a market share of under 28%, which is understandable considering the competition is betting on Android.
In the world’s largest smartphone market, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has an even tougher time than anywhere else, mostly due to the high number of local manufacturers launching devices that are meant to be “flagship killers,” devices that are marketed as being better than anything else on the market. Whether that’s true or false is up for debate, but the truth is that there’s always something better, shinier and more impressive.
Under the circumstances, Apple’s market share in the China is enjoying a roller-coaster ride, going up and down and up again as the months go by, indicating an extremely competitive market. Recent news from the Asian country indicate that while the smartphone market keeps growing, there’s been a considerable slowdown in the year’s second quarter. Tech research company Gartner says that China has reached saturation, the phone market reaching a “replacement” phase. Anshul Gupta, Gartner’s research director, says that there are very few that are buying new phones now, the market consisting mostly of users trying to replace their old devices with newer models.
Without any further ado, read on to see the top countries where the iPhone currently is registering the largest market shares.
9. USA
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In the United States, for instance, where the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) mothership is docked, iPhones had a 43.5% market share, well above Korean competitor Samsung, which only scored a 28.7% market share at the end of May.
Ever since then, however, the new iPhone 6s has been launched and so the numbers might continue to grow if only ever so slightly. That’s because iOS fans are the ones that are most likely to make the switch towards the newer model, always looking to upgrade their gadget. On the other hand, in order to lure Android users away from the large number of manufacturers, Apple should have come up with some extraordinary upgrades, which, let’s be honest, didn’t really happen.
Even so, Apple’s phones are so popular in the United States that iOS takes up the top spot among the operating systems used in the country. StatCounter puts the number at 56.7%, leaving Android behind with 40.3% for the month of October.
8. Japan
Another country where Apple is the top dog when it comes to smartphones is… yes, you guessed it… Japan. Of course, it was to be expected since the country’s residents are so tech oriented and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is the shining star of the worldwide industry.
In Japan, the iPhone’s market share sat at 44.6% in May this year. While the number is quite impressive considering the massive competition from Android manufacturers, it’s quite low compared to the 60.2% it had in December.
The operating system market share pyramid looks quite similar for the Asian nation. The iOS had a 65.4% market share in October 2015, while Android only managed to rise up to 33.8%.
7. UK
The United Kingdom is quite a big fan of the big Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) too. In fact, they love the American brand so much that iOS devices take the top spot in the chart of the country’s most popular platforms. According to StatCounter, over 53% of the Brits prefer iOS over Android, while Google’s OS takes up quite a big chunk itself, namely over 36%. Too bad neither of these can make the sun shine more over the islands.
6. France
A short train trip away, we find the French. In the old country, there’s still a big battle going on, but it’s a more… modern one, if you will. Android is going head to head with iOS and manages to come on top, but only barely. With how finicky smartphone owners are, the percentage difference between the two shouldn’t be a comfort for either of them.
Stats indicate that about 51% of smartphone users in the country speak Android’s language, while nearly 44% prefer iOS instead. There’s no saying whether things will change any time soon, but the truth is that the holidays are just around the corner and they’re certain to affect the balance in one way or another. It just depends on who comes up with a better deal and the best phones.
5. New Zealand
Over in New Zealand the situation is quite in favor of the old Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). It looks like even the hobbits in the Shire are impressed with the clean operating system offered by the Cupertino-based company since over 58% of smartphone users have chosen it. That’s well over half the population and if that’s not impressive, I don’t know what is. Android still has some sway with the Kiwis, closing in on 39% in October. While it’s not impossible for the multitude of Android manufacturers to eventually win over the folks over in New Zealand, they’re going to have to put in quite a bit of work to get even close to Apple’s impressive stats.
4. Australia
Australian smartphone users are quite big fans of Apple too. In fact, there are so many of them that you could probably put the “Apple fan-boy” tag over the map and they wouldn’t be too upset. Joke aside, StatCounter indicates that in October 2015 over 67% of those using a smartphone had an Apple device. That is an impressive feat for Apple, especially since if you check a map of mobile OS preferences, you can clearly see how Android is winning the global race, checking out country after country. In Australia, however, only over 31% of users have chosen Google’s OS.
3. Canada
The always-polite Canada is saying “sorry, not sorry” for picking Apple’s products over the endless list of Android manufacturers suffocating the market. In fact, nearly 64% own an iOS device. The numbers might vary in the near future, especially after Apple Pay finally hit Canada after months and months of waiting, only to completely bypass local banks, as well as the most popular credit-card networks. Limiting the service to only American Express owners will surely make a lot of people quite upset. Will they be upset enough to kill the love for Apple? It remains to be seen, but the fact remains that Google Pay is not yet available in Canada just yet, so perhaps the limited usage of this type of service is preferable to none.
2. Iceland
There are only a few hundred thousand people living in the breathtaking European country, but they’ve made their preference for Apple’s products quite clear. StatCounter indicates that over 57% of smartphone users love iOS more than they do Google’s Android. Only a little over 40% own an Android device, which is still a big chunk. Little is left for other operating systems, however, which isn’t that surprising, considering that this is pretty much a worldwide trend.
Keeping things in Europe’s northern areas, another country where smartphone users love Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s clean design and simple operating system is Norway. Over 63% of all users picked iOS over Android, leaving only a 35% market share over to Google’s Android. Considering the fact that Europe generally loves the latter, the Nordic countries seem to be on a rebellious streak.
1. Sweden
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Since we were on the topic of Nordic countries we couldn’t leave out Sweden, could we? That’s because it may as well be Norway’s twin when it comes to the division between iOS and Android. According to StatCounter, some 62% of Swedes use iOS devices, while a little over 36% prefer Android phones.
There are many places in the world where Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) rules the lands, where iOs devices, both smartphones and tablets, manage to take the top spot, beating all other Android manufacturers, such as Samsung, LG, Lenovo and so on. There are, however, a lot more where the pressure is too much, where too many big names launch countless devices each year, resulting in lower market share numbers for Apple.
On the other hand, it’s that much more impressive that the Cupertino-based company has managed to even take over so many markets in the first place, a testament to the quality of the devices, but also to the loyalty Apple inspires. While it’s true that owning a pricey Apple device is for some proof of status, for most it’s simply the perfect way to communicate. The company has built a big name for itself over the years, one that it has to be careful to uphold.
