Report: iOS More Popular Than Android in the U.S.

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Thanks to the release of the iPhone 5, iOS is now once again the most popular mobile operating system in the U.S. A report from research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech said that during the 12 weeks ending October 28, iOS had 48.1 percent of the U.S. smartphone market compared to 46.7 percent for Android.

CNET’s Don Reisinger reported, “Apple’s success during the 12-week period came by way of the iPhone 5, Kantar said. The company noted that the last time iOS led Android in its studies was when the iPhone 4S hit store shelves last year. iOS held on to the top spot for three consecutive periods before eventually giving ground to Android.”

Michelle Maisto from eWeek quoted Kantar’s Dominic Sunnebo who said, “An impressive 92 percent of existing Apple owners in the U.S. said they will choose an iPhone the next time they upgrade. While loyalty is key, it is also important to make sure that new customers are attracted to your brand.” He added, “With roughly 60 percent of U.S. iPhone 5 sales coming from existing customers and 40 percent from new customers, Apple is achieving this at the moment—a clear sign of the strength of the brand in the U.S. marketplace.”

TechCrunch’s Ingrid Lunden noted, “But in Europe, Kantar points out that Android remains ahead of iOS by a pretty strong margin: in Germany it accounted for 73.9% of sales, and even more in Spain at 81.7%. Meanwhile, Italy continues to be Nokia’s strongest market in Europe, where the Windows Phone accounted for nearly 12% of sales. In actual fact, the U.S. was the only market out of the ones covered by Kantar where the iPhone is leading over Android sales.”

ZDNet’s Zack Whittaker cited a separate report from IDC which finds the iPhone becoming more popular with enterprises. He wrote, “BlackBerrys are on their way out, and iPhones are ready to take their place in the enterprise space, according to the latest forecast report from research firm IDC. Enterprises and large businesses are buying the petite Apple-branded shiny rectangles ‘in droves,’ the report said, and in the coming years will likely outshine its more popular rivals in the business smartphone space.”