Apple Enjoys Brand Loyalty, while Samsung, LG, Others Trade Customers
Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) today released analysis of the results of its research on mobile phone operating systems and brands for the calendar quarter that ended September 30, 2015. This analysis features findings about market share trends in mobile phone operating systems and brands in the U.S. from July-September 2015.
CIRP research shows that the two major mobile operating systems, Google Android and Apple iOS, continue to control more than 95 percent of U.S. customer mobile phone activations (Chart 1). In the September 2015 quarter, Android accounted for 71 percent of U.S. activations, while iOS had 27 percent. The two operating systems shares have been relatively consistent for the past three quarters.
Chart 1: Operating System Share of Mobile Phone Activations
Android and iOS maintained consistent shares of U.S. mobile phone sales in the past three quarters. Apple launched the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in the final days of the quarter, but with too few days of availability to materially affect its share in the quarter. We expect that the launch will improve Apple's share in the December 2015 quarter, as it did in the December 2014 quarter.
Among phone brands, Samsung had the highest share in the U.S. market in the September 2015 quarter, at 39 percent, up somewhat from 34 percent in the June 2015 quarter (Chart 2). Apple maintained its 27 percent share in the quarter. Samsung increased its share mostly at the expense of LG, which saw its share fall to 16 percent in the quarter, down from 20 percent in the June 2015 quarter.
Chart 2: Brand Share of Mobile Phone Activations
Samsung, Apple, and LG continue to sell over 80 percent of the phones in the U.S. market. Apple enjoys the most loyal customers, with 83 percent of Apple owners who acquired a new phone during the quarter staying with Apple. With multiple brands of phones to choose from, Android customers can be loyal to the operating system while still changing brands of phone. In that market, only Samsung retains more than half of their customers (64 percent) who activate a new phone. LG, Motorola, HTC and other Android phone manufacturers are in a pool of brands that Android customers float among.
CIRP bases its findings on a survey of 500 U.S. subjects, from October 1-12, 2015, that activated a new or used phone in the July-September 2015 period. For additional information, please contact CIRP.