Android vs. iOS

Smartphone OS sales market share evolution

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About this data

This information is based on the research extracted from Kantar's global consumer panel and refers in all cases to three months periods ending the stated month.

Worldpanel ComTech is the largest continuous research consumer mobile phone tracking panel of its kind in the world, conducting over one million interviews per year in Europe alone.

We track 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.

Please note HarmonyOS has now been reclassified into ‘Other’ from Q4’23 onwards.

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Artificial Intelligence drives Galaxy S24 sales

The latest Worldpanel ComTech Smartphone Operating System (OS) data indicates global Smartphone sales volumes have declined -2% year-on-year, driven by a sharp downturn in Mainland China.

Other insights uncovered within the Global Smartphone market in the firstquarter of 2024 include:

Smartphone sales in Europe, the US, and Australia experienced significant growth, with Android and iOS driving the surge, indicating robust demand across allmarkets
Samsung's Galaxy S24 series, featuring artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, has resonated well with consumers, contributing to Samsung's continued dominance in the Android market
AI has contributed to enhancing brand loyalty for Samsung, as Galaxy S24 buyers influenced by AI were more likely to have owned a previous Samsung device
Apple iOS USA strong performance continues. Sales +35% year-on-year. iPhone accounts for 8 of the top 10 models sold
Younger consumers, especially Gen Z, are more inclined to be influenced by AI features, indicating a strong alignment between current AI use cases and this demographic's preferences and behaviours

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Global Smartphone Sales Mixed Picture

In the top 5 European markets (France, Germany, GB, Italy, and Spain), Smartphone sales volumes grew by +10% year-on-year. Germany, Great Britain, and France all experienced double digit percentage growth, with Southern European markets Italy and Spain trailing.

Google’s Android Operating System is the most popular, accounting for 7 in 10 of all devices sold. Samsung remains the top selling Android brand, having released its latest Flagship Smartphone, Galaxy S24, on January 31st. The series is performing well, accounting for 6% of all devices sold.The S24 series is packed with a range of Artificial Intelligent (AI) capabilities,launching a new era of SamsungSmartphones ‘Powered by Galaxy AI’. Consumers are responding positively to the AI features, 24% say they were akey reason why they chose their phone.

Xiaomi, Google Pixel, Motorola, and Honor are the other top-selling Android brands.The latter experiencingstrong growthin France and Spain. Xiaomi is top selling manufacturer in Spain,gaining +4%points share year-on-year.

Apple’s iOS accounts for 3 in 10 of all devices sold across the European 5 markets. The iPhone 15 remains the top selling model, accounting for 5% of all Smartphones sold. iOS has performed well in Italy, gaining +6%points share year-on-year.

The United States has seen a 30% increase in Smartphone sales, attributed to strong growth from both Apple iOS and Android OS, +35% and +25% respectively year-on-year.The US is Apple’s strongest market, accounting for 1 in 2 of all Smartphones sold (+2%points year-on-year), 8 out of the 10 top selling models are an iPhone.

Android has had a challenging quarter in the US losing -2% share year-on-year. Top selling Android manufacturers Samsung and Motorola both lost share, -3%points and -2%points respectively. Recently released Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the top selling Android Smartphone, AI is again proving to be a key reason whyconsumers choose the device.

Across the Asia Pacific region, sales volumes vary. Mainland Chinahas experienced a steep year-on-year decline in sales volumes, dropping to its lowest level in three years. Android remains the top selling OS, despite its sales share dropping -4%points year-on-year. Domestic brands have had a mixed performance;Xiaomi has experienced a -2%points drop, conversely Honor has experienced a +3%points jump, propelling it to4th spot.

Huawei’s Harmony OS has gained +3%points share, stealing the majority from Android. Its latest Flagship Mate 60 series accounts for the 3rd and 4th top selling models, accounting for 8% of overall sales. Apple iOS has experienced a +1%point increase in sales share, iPhone 15 and 15 Pro Max secure 1st and 2ndtop selling models.

In Japan sales have declined year-on-year. Android has had a strong quarter, gaining +4%points share. Google Pixel is the top selling Android Smartphone, the more affordable Pixel 7A proving the most popular. Apple iOS has lost -5%points share year-on-year, the iPhone 15, 14 and SE (2022) are the #3 selling models.

Australia has seen a strong 38% uplift in Smartphone sales volumes. Android is the top selling OS, Google Pixel driving strong growth. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the top selling Android model. Apple iOS models account for 8 of the top 10 selling models.

What impact has AI had on consumer behaviour?

Samsung announced that ‘Galaxy AI is here’alongside the launch of the Galaxy S24 Series. Competitors are almost certain to follow suit throughout the year, Apple is rumoured to be partnering with Google to embed Gemini AI into iPhones.

Across the European 5 and United States, 24% of Galaxy S24 series buyers cite that AI was a key reason why they chose their phone. Consumers influenced to purchaseby AI are younger, 27% fall into Gen Z.This is hardly surprising, current AI use cases largely align with Gen Z, from circling a desired product in a TikTok video, to condensing notes scribed in a college class. Gen Z are a highly sought demographic, it appears AI can help drive engagement amongst this group.

Secondly, AI has been successful in driving loyalty for Samsung. Galaxy 24 buyers that said AI was a key reason why they chose their phone were more likely to have owned a previous Samsung device vs those that were not influenced by AI, 93% vs 87% (95% CI).As Smartphone sales growth remains restrictive, retaining your existing base is more important than ever.

Finally, AI is driving greater value. 7 in 10 Galaxy 24 buyers that said AI was a key reason why they chose their phone spent €800+ on their previous device, vs 55% of those that were not influenced by AI (95% CI).Convincing consumers of the benefits that AI can bring will help manufacturers acquire more valuable consumers.

Kantar will continue to track the impact of AI on consumer behaviour across its global longitudinal panels, providing insights into successful AI product innovations, AI motivated consumers, and original equipment manufacturers winners and losers.