Mixed figures in US smartphone market

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 11 January 2011 16:04

Your IT - Mobility

Whether or not Android has pushed the iPhone into third place in the US market depends on whose figures you believe. But BlackBerry is still out in front, and the anticipated launch of iPhone on Verizon may put the cat among the pigeons.

While Nielsen reported a slight increase in the iPhone's US market share to 28.6%, GfK's numbers put Android in second place with 26%, just ahead of the iPhone's 25%.

 

Photo: Courtesy of Apple

Both companies put BlackBerry in top spot, with either 33.5% (GfK) or 27.4% (Nielsen).

Either way, it seems Android is powering along. On Nielsen's figures it is within a whisker of first place, and GFK shows a 6.4 percentage point growth on the previous quarter.

Apple has chosen to concentrate on the high end of the market, while Android is available on a variety of handsets at a range of prices. (In Australia, unlocked Android handsets are readily available for as little as $199.)

If expectations that Verizon will tonight announce the availability of the iPhone on its CDMA network prove true, this could provide a substantial fillip to US sales. So far, the iPhone has been exclusively available on AT&T in the US, unlike the practice in other markets where it is offered through multiple (sometimes all) carriers.

What about customer loyalty? Please read on.