In the fourth calendar quarter of 2014, Apple managed to earn more money than any company had ever earned before in a single quarter. The record-smashing quarter was driven by tremendous pent-up demand for iPhones with larger displays, as tens of millions of customers rushed to purchase the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
As it turns out, we’re still seeing ripples from that massive launch and now, we can plainly see just how serious a problem the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are for Android vendors.
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Kantar Worldpanel is among the most respected market research firms in the world when it comes to mobile market share data, and the firm’s numbers tell a very interesting tale for the first quarter of 2015. According to Kantar, Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are still driving big growth for Apple, particularly in two key markets that have traditionally been Android strongholds.
First, in Europe, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech chief of research Carolina Milanesi noted that about one-third of new Apple customers switched to an iPhone from an Android device.
“In the first quarter of 2015, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus continued to attract consumers across Europe, including users who previously owned an Android smartphone,” Milanesi said. “On average, across Europe’s big five countries during the first quarter, 32.4% of Apple’s new customers switched to iOS from Android.”
Over in China, which is currently one of the top growth markets, Apple made huge gains in terms of market share thanks to the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
“In urban China, Apple consolidated its leadership in smartphones, growing its share to 26.1%, up from 17.9% for the same period in 2014,” said Kantar Asia analyst Tamsin Timpson noted. “Thirty-eight percent of iPhone buyers were recommended an Apple device by someone they know, while 23% recall seeing an ad.”
The firm’s report also reiterated the fact that China is now driving more volume for Apple than the United States.
