Large numbers of Europeans have ditched their Android devices in favor of the latest Apple iPhone iteration, new research has found.
According to new smartphone market data published by analyst outfit Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, Apple’s share of the smartphone market in Europe’s five biggest countries, specifically Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, rose to 20.3 percent over the 2015’s first quarter ending March, marking a 1.8 percent increase from 2014.
Meanwhile, Android smartphones accounted for 68.4 percent of smartphone sales across Europe in the first quarter, a 3.1 percent decrease year on year.
“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,” said Carolina Milanesi, chief of research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
“On average, across Europe’s big five countries during the first quarter, 32.4 percent of Apple’s new customers switched to iOS from Android.”
In the UK, the iPhone accounted for 38.1 percent of sales in the first quarter, up from 32.1 percent it claimed in 2014. Android smartphones claimed a lesser 52.9 percent slice of the pie in the UK, down slightly from 56.2 percent in 2014. Microsoft’s Windows phones accounted for eight percent of UK sales in the first quarter, down 1.1 percent year on year, while BlackBerry claimed a mere 0.7 percent of smartphone purchases, down 1.4 percent.
The report however found that Android still commanded the UK smartphone market when it came to buyers on a budget.
“In Great Britain, while 25.6% of new iOS buyers switched from Android during the quarter, Android’s leadership remains strong, thanks to the price options consumers have in both the contract and pre-pay market,” said Dominic Sunnebo, business unit director at Kantar.
“Thirty-five percent of consumers who bought an Android smartphone in the first quarter said their decision was driven by receiving a good price on the phone. Another 29% said that getting a good deal on the tariff/contract was a factor in their purchase.”
In China, Apple’s iPhone share to 26.1 percent in the first quarter, up from 17.9 percent for the same period in 2014. Android’s market share in China slipped eight points to 72 percent. Kantar remarked that China is now generating more iPhone volume than the U.S.
In the US, Android’s market share claimed a modest 0.2 percent gain in market share to 58.1 percent while Apple lost the same amount to 36.5 percent.
