Apple continues to gain smartphone market share in China according to Kantar’s most recent survey. Kantar utilizes a three month rolling average which shows that the iPhone has increased its market share from 18.6% in September last year to 23.2% in January. Android has the number one position and has also increased its share growing from 65.2% to 71.5%.
Symbian (was Nokia’s previous software platform) and Windows have lost significant share. Symbian has decreased from 7.7% to 3.5% over four months while Microsoft has dropped from 5.7% to 1.2%.
With smartphone penetration only at 22% (but significantly higher in Urban China) it does appear that there is still good growth ahead for smartphones in China.
| Urban China | Sept. 30, '12 |
Oct. 28, '12 |
Nov. 25, '12 |
Dec. 23 '12 |
Jan. '13 |
| iOS | 18.6% |
19.9% |
19.2% |
21.9% |
23.2% |
| Android | 65.2% |
67.5% |
72.2% |
72.5% |
71.5% |
| RIM | 0.1% |
0.1% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
| Symbian | 7.7% |
6.2% |
4.1% |
3.9% |
3.5% |
| Windows | 5.7% |
4.2% |
2.7% |
0.9% |
1.2% |
| Bada | 0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
| Others | 2.7% |
2.2% |
1.8% |
0.9% |
0.6% |
| Total | 100.0% |
100.1% |
100.0% |
100.1% |
100.0% |
Source: Kantar. Totals may not add to 100.0% due to rounding.
Disclosure: My family and I own Apple shares.
