The competition in the smartphone world might finally be making Apple sweat. According to the latest data from Kantar Worldpanel, the iPhone’s market share in Great Britain in November 2013 was down over 5% from the same month in 2012. Forbes contributor Chuck Jones points out that not only are other platforms growing at a much faster rate, but the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c are actually attracting a significantly smaller market share than the iPhone 5 did a year ago.
From the launch of the iPhone 5 in September 2012 through the end of November 2012, Apple’s U.S. share grew from 34.6% to 53.3%. In the same time frame after the launch of the 5s and 5c, Apple’s share grew from 35.9% to 43.1%.
“Apple’s share of smartphone sales continues to grow month on month following the release of the iPhone 5s and 5c models; however, its share of most major markets remains lower than the same time last year as it increasingly faces challenges from its rivals,” says Kantar Worldpanel’s report. “While there’s no doubt that sales of the iPhone 5S and 5C have been strong, resurgent performances from LG, Sony and Nokia have made making year on year share gains increasingly challenging for Apple.”
While Apple’s market share shrinks, Android continues to show significant gains. Windows Phone also surpassed BlackBerry in 2013 to become the third largest platform in Europe.
