Apple with over 51% Market Share outshines Android

Apple’s iOS continues to outshine Android, in the United States, according to data released today by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

For the final quarter of 2012, the iPhone won an impressive 51.2% of all U.S. smartphone sales (why impressive, in 2011 iPhone had a 44% share, which represents a relatively huge, 8.3% increase in "Market Share" in a one-year period). Perhaps the extra 1/2" in screen size, bringing the iPhone to 4" with the iPhone-5 was a factor. In second place, Android’s market share was at 44.8% of U.S. sales, 0.1%, slightly less than last year’s share, leaving Microsoft’s Windows Phone with 2.6%. Also noteworthy, RIM, the Blackberry, market share dropped from 6.1% to 1.1%.

Apple’s flagship platform also scored well in Japan, proving tops among 66% of Japanese smartphone buyers.

"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," Kantar analyst Mary-Ann Parlato said in a statement.

Over the past year, 36% of Apple’s iOS sales in the U.S. came from users of other smartphones, notably Android. The percentage of Android users jumping ship to the iPhone was 19% in 2012, compared with 9% in 2011, according to Kantar.

Verizon subscribers were also very eager to jump onto the Apple iOS bandwagon. An impressive 59% of iPhone-buying Verizon customers came from other brand phones, 30% of which had previously used Android specifically. In comparison, 15% of AT&T users who bought an iPhone jumped from a different platform, while only 6% were former Android users. This difference comparing Verizon users and AT&T users, is logical, since AT&T has had the iPhone in their line-up since the iPhone’s inception in 2007; where Verizon entered the iPhone arena beginning with the iPhone Version 4.

Perhaps Apple should add another screen-size to its iPhone line-up with a 4.8" version, lets call it the "iPhone-5maxi" and give those folks a reason to migrate to iPhone… and Likewise, how about a smaller iPhone product, say the "iPhone-5nano", for those that are less-interested in "big-screens" and more-interested in an affordable pathway to the world of Apple iPhones… Since "The Heavy Lifting" from an iPhone technologies perspective, is already perfected. Therefore Apple’s iPhone model line-up, decision making, is largely, supply-line, marketing, and integration.

Apple has always maintain the very highest quality standards; therefore adding an "entry-level / affordable" iPhone version has nothing to do with "cheep" as some analysis incorrectly characterize it.