03 October 2011
O2 SET TO REAP BENEFITS FROM NEW iPHONE
The latest data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech shows that Android holds a 48.3% share of the GB smartphone market, followed by BlackBerry (21.2%) and Apple (20.8%). Smartphones made up 68.8% of sales over the 12 weeks, meaning that 42% of people in Great Britain now own a smartphone. However, with the new Apple iPhone announcement imminent, the current OS picture is likely to change considerably over the next few months.
Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, explains: “When the new iPhone is released there will be a significant bump in sales due to pent up demand, but significantly this boost is not likely to be spread equally across the networks.”
While O2’s iPhone exclusivity ended some time ago, O2 still holds 45% of all Apple customers in Britain. As O2 was the first network to carry the iPhone, it also has the largest number of people who will be nearing the end of their contract and therefore ready to upgrade. In fact, 38% of iPhone customers on O2 have owned their Apple device for at least 18 months.
Sunnebo continues, “Kantar Worldpanel ComTech’s panel shows that iPhone consumers are very loyal when upgrading their device. In Britain, over 70% of iPhone owners who changed their device chose another iPhone. O2 is extremely well placed to capitalise when the new iPhone is released.”
Elsewhere, BlackBerry’s success in Spain continues unabated, with its share reaching 20.1% in the latest 12 week sales. Symbian’s share continues to fall sharply across the board, down to just 6.7% share in GB, from 23.1% one year ago. With a slew of new Windows Phone 7 devices coming in the next few months, Microsoft will be hoping to emulate the relative success being seen in Germany, where Windows Phone 7 devices hold 5.6% of the market.
About Kantar Worldpanel ComTech’s Smartphone OS market share data
Kantar Worldpanel ComTech’s smartphone OS market share data provides the media and businesses with access to the most up to date sales market share figures for the major smartphone OS.
This information is based on the research extracted from the Kantar Worldpanel ComTech global consumer panel. ComTech is the largest continuous research consumer mobile phone tracking panel of its kind in the world, conducting over 1 million interviews per year in Europe alone. ComTech tracks mobile phone behaviour, including purchasing of phones, mobile phone bills/airtime, source of purchase and phone usage and delivers beyond market share tracking to understand drivers of share changes, market dynamics through consumer insight – the data included in this release is excluding enterprise sales
About Kantar Worldpanel
Kantar Worldpanel is the world leader in consumer knowledge and insights based on continuous consumer panels. Its High Definition Inspiration™ approach combines market monitoring, advanced analytics and tailored market research solutions to deliver both the big picture and the fine detail that inspire successful actions by its clients. Kantar Worldpanel’s expertise about what people buy or use – and why – has become the market currency for brand owners, retailers, market analysts and government organisations globally.
With over 60 years’ experience, a team of 3,000, and services covering more than 50 countries directly or through partners, Kantar Worldpanel delivers High Definition Inspiration™ in fields as diverse as FMCG, impulse products, fashion, baby, telecommunications and entertainment, among many others.
For further information, please visit us at www.kantarworldpanel.com.
For further information, please visit us at www.kantarworldpanel.com and follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/ComTechglobal
About Kantar
Kantar is one of the world’s largest insight, information and consultancy groups. By uniting the diverse talents of its 13 specialist companies, the group aims to become the pre-eminent provider of compelling and inspirational insights for the global business community. Its 28,500 employees work across 100 countries and across the whole spectrum of research and consultancy disciplines, enabling the group to offer clients business insights at each and every point of the consumer cycle. The group’s services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies.
For further information, please visit us at www.kantar.com
