Apple beats Android by a nose in the US of A - EU loves Apple but in China Xiaomi mojo is strong as India beckons

“While the success of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is unprecedented, this quarter's performance also points to Apple having its strongest portfolio ever. With a range of devices available at different price points in both contract and pre-pay Apple was able to take advantage of a weaker Android offering at the premium end of the market”

Chief of research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, Carolina Milanesi commenting on Fourth Quarter of 2014 sales stats that indicates Apple iPhone just beat out Google Android in the US of A

Turns out Apple had a better than expected Fourth Quarter of 2014 moving some US$18 Billion and in the process selling some 74.5 Million iPhones worldwide as reported in the article “‘Staggering’ iPhone Demand Helps Lift Apple’s Quarterly Profit by 38%”, published Jan. 28, 2015 3:50 a.m. ET By DAISUKE WAKABAYASHI, Wall Street Journal.

This as stats from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech suggests that the Apple iPhone 6 has boosted their marketshare somewhat, pushing them just ahead of Google Android in the Fourth Quarter of 2014 by a nose as stated in the article “iOS Tops Android in U.S. for First Time Since 2012”, published BY ANGELA MOSCARITOLO, PCWorld.

All thanks to the Apple iPhone 6 and Apple iPhone 6 Plus as described in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus - No Sapphire Screen but 128GB Storage and NFC-powered Apple Pay in Apple's Biggest iPhone Launch”.

More interestingly, it's the first Quarter since the year 2012 that this has occurred and jives well with the stats of ABI Research which also suggest that Google Android lost some sales marketshare to Google Android as noted in the article “For the first time ever, shipments of Android smartphones fell in the holiday quarter”, published February 1, 2015 10:25 AM PST by Rochelle Garner, CNET News.

So says the stats as presented in Kantar Worldpanel ComTech stats laden Press Release entitled “Apple iOS leads US OS share for the first time since Q4 2012”, published 04/02/2015, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

The Full stats are as shown above thanks to Gigaom's article “Android and iOS are nearly tied for U.S. smartphone market share”, published Feb. 4, 2015 - 9:09 AM PST by Kif Leswing, Gigaom.

So now without further ado, on to the stats analysis for USA, Europe and China!

Apple beats Android by a nose - Apple iPhone 6 a more popular gift in Christmas 2014

In the US of A, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Stats for all smartphones sold in the Fourth Quarter of 2014 show victory by just the slimmest of margins:

1.      47.7% for Apple's iOS

2.      47.6% for Google Android

3.      3.8% for Windows Phone

That's just 0.1% causing Chief of research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, Carolina Milanesi, probably an Apple fan, to make much of the by-a-nose win by Apple, quote: “In the US, Apple iOS overtook Android for the first time since this time in 2012, albeit by the slimmest 0.1% margin”.

The Apple iPhone 6 was also a more popular gift item, beating out the Samsung Galaxy S5, which as many are aware from my blog article entitled “Introducing the Samsung Galaxy S5 – 16 Megapixel Camera with Fingerprint Scanner and Fitness Tracker is Improved Fun Experience in a better Business Suit” isn't much better than the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Apple sales grow in European Union - Italy still loves Android smartphones

Apple's sales of all smartphones sold in the Fourth Quarter of 2014 in Europe also showed growth as noted in the article “iOS overtakes Android in US sales to reclaim top spot”, published February 5, 2015 By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, ZDNet:

1.      6.2% increase in Apple iPhone Sales

2.      -3.8% decline in Google Android Sales

Consequently, due to this decline to 66% of all smartphones sold in the Fourth Quarter of 2014 were Google Android, indicating that for the first time in three (3), Android's growth in Europe may be slowing.

Interesting too, the British, Germans, French, Spanish and EU5 are showing Apple a lot of love, with Apple's share of all smartphones sold in the Fourth Quarter of 2014 in those EU countries also on the rise:

1.      13.1% increase for Apple iPhone in Great Britain

2.      -7.5% decline for Google Android in Great Britain

3.      3.6% increase for Apple iPhone in Germany

4.      -4.4 decline for Google Android in Germany

5.      2.8% increase for Apple iPhone in France

6.      -1.3% decline for Google Android in France

7.      3.1% increase for Apple iPhone in Spain

8.      -6.7% decline for Google Android in Spain

This type of growth being mimicked all across Europe except in Italy, who apparently love Android like they love Italian Food, to quote Strategic insight Director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Europe, Dominic Sunnebo: “Italy was the only European market where Android grew. Considering the strong pre-pay market and the wider direct channel it is not a surprise that Android products – with their value for money proposition – continue to appeal to Italian consumers”:

1.      5.5% increase for Apple iPhone in Spain

2.      1.1% decline for Google Android in Spain

Still, this is much slower growth in sales for the Fourth Quarter of 2014, suggesting that this may really be a gain for Apple overall.

Apple grows in China but Xiaomi’s mojo is strong - India remains as last growing market for Apple to Tap

Apple still can't overtake Xiaomi smartphones, as their pricing mojo is strong and already expanding to India as noted in my blog article entitled “Xiaomi in India after success in China - Xiaomi Looks to the West as the World is theirs for the Taking”.

But that gap is closing as Apple's looking like a Google Android Stealer as I'd predicted in my blog article entitled “Kantar Worldpanel Stats say British and Europeans love Apple iPhone 6 - China growing as Consumer Intelligence Report confirms iPhone 6 Plus unnecessary”.

Some interesting stats on China for the Fourth Quarter of 2014 to note:

1.      25% of Chinese were first time smartphone purchasers bought an Apple iPhone

2.      16% of Chinese were first time smartphone purchasers bought an Apple iPhone in Fourth Quarter of 2013

According to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Apple's marketshare of sales of all smartphones sold in the Fourth Quarter of 2014 in China increased as thus:

1.      21% for Apple iPhone

2.      19% for Apple iPhone in Fourth Quarter of 2013

Apple's best bet may be to follow Samsung and now Microsoft, now launching the US$81 Lumia 435 and US$93 Lumia 532 in February 2015 as noted in my MICO Wars blog article entitled

“Microsoft’s US$81 Lumia 435 and US$93 Lumia 532 take Eurotrip that’s India bound” into India, the last untapped smartphone growth engine globally.

Here’s the link:

Apple Reports Record First Quarter Results