US Smartphone Market Share 2012

Android has caught up in terms of devices, but is still a long way short on revenues

With the US still the leading market for Smartphones, Follow That App keeps a close eye on developments in market share.

Regular visitors to the site will be familiar with the underlying trend. The market remains dominated by the big two, Apple and Android.

Google’s Android is well ahead in handset sales with its more aggressive pricing and range of manufacturer relationships, but Apple is still dominant in revenues.

Given Android’s rapid growth in handset share, we were interested to see that actually in the last quarter Apple gained the most in market share in the last quarter, according to figures from comScore.

The figures for Q2 2012 are as below:

Google won’t be unduly worried with over 50% market share and growing, but what of the rest. The figures show RIM in trouble, Microsoft stable, if relatively small, Symbian nowhere, but Apple growing the fastest. As ever, the real question is why?

Part of the explanation is the continued halo effect from the launch of the 4S. However, this may well start to tail off, particularly if Android releases a similarly stand-out device, although the rumoured autumn launch of the iPhone 5 is likely to give Apple another bump in the figures later in the year.

The second part of the explanation is those jumping ship from RIM and choosing the iPhone in larger numbers than Android.

It’s increasingly looking like a two-horse race, but both are worth backing showing impressive continued growth in market share, with the US Smartphone market still maturing.