Apple Continues to Hold More Than Half of U.S. Smartphone SalesResearch firm Kantar Worldpanel today issued a report indicating that Apple continued to maintain its position as the best-selling smartphone platform in the United States during the fourth quarter of 2012. Kantar Worldpanel, which releases its rolling quarterly data on a monthly basis, indicated that Apple retook the lead from Android in the August-October period and gathered a majority share for the first time in the September-November period. Looking at year-over-year comparisons, iOS increased its market share in the final quarter of 2012 to 51.2% from 44.9% in the same quarter the previous year. Android sales remained almost constant at just over 44%, with nearly all of Apple's gains coming at the expense of Research in Motion and other smaller players.“Apple’s continual improvement is thanks to both the iPhone 5 and older models attracting various customer groups, from repeat Apple buyers, first time smartphone buyers and those coming from other smartphone brands," said Kantar Worldpanel ComTech analyst Mary-Ann Parlato.Kantar Worldpanel notes that 35% of Apple's sales during the period were to those upgrading from a previous iPhone, with 36% switching from a competitor platform and 30% upgrading from a feature phone to their first smartphone. Kantar's data comes just as Verizon announced its results for the fourth quarter, revealing that the iPhone represented approximately 63% of the carrier's total smartphone activations. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Apple to Open First Retail Store and Resume Online Sales in Indonesia • Shipping Estimates for 21.5-Inch iMac Begin Slipping to 2-3 Weeks • Tim Cook Ordered to Give Deposition in Employee-Poaching Ban Antitrust Case • Apple Looking to Hire Writers to Enhance Siri's Witty Personality • Black Pixel's Comparison App 'Kaleidoscope 2' Goes Live on Mac App Store • Rovio and Apple Offering 'Angry Birds Rio' as Free App of the Week • Square Enix's 'Final Fantasy All The Bravest' Melds Traditional RPG Mechanics with Casual Gameplay • Sprint to Launch Total Equipment Protection Plan for iPhone on January 25
http://www.macrumors.com/2013/01/22/apple-continues-to-hold-more-than-half-of-u-s-smartphone-sales/
