With the iPhone 6s launching in fall, you’d expect iPhone 6 sales to slow down during the summer months. While that may be the case, new research suggests that iPhone has been stealing even more Android users by converting them to iOS during the first summer months.
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According to Kantar, 27% of smartphone buyers in Europe’s biggest markets, including Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, left Android in favor of iOS in the three-month period ending July 2015.
Comparatively, the iPhone stole just 9% of smartphone buyers in America. The trend, however, seems to be consistent with what Apple CEO Tim Cook repeatedly said, that iPhone is converting more Android users than ever.
Apple and Samsung dominated the smartphone sales landscape in these regions during the period, having a combined 64% market share. Furthermore, Apple and Samsung sold nine of the 10 most popular smartphones in the period, with LG making “a cameo appearance in the ranking.”
Overall, Google might not be losing market share to iOS, as customers in emerging markets choose primarily Android as their first device, but Kantar’s study shows that many experienced smartphone users are willing to buy a more expensive iPhone than upgrading to a new Android device – and there’s plenty of choice in the same price range.
This seems to suggest that there’s even more space for Apple to grow once the new iPhone 6s arrives, especially in markets where customers can actually afford the new iPhones. Interestingly, Kantar says that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus might continue to be hot sellers after the iPhone 6s arrives, as they will become even cheaper.
“While all eyes will be on Apple’s new products, I would suggest people pay close attention to the current iPhone 6 and 6 Plus market performance, should the accustomed price drop occur after the September 9 product announcement,” chief of research at Kantar Carolina Milanesi said. “In the U.S., 32% of the overall sales of the iPhone 5s were generated after the launch of the iPhone 6.”
A visualization of the leading European smartphone markets follows below, as provided by Kantar.
