Apple is to smartphones as Samsung is to Android – report

With 43% of sales, Apple holds the biggest bite of the US smartphone market, but within the Android ecosystem it’s Samsung that is the name to beat, states Consumer Intelligence Research Partners in its latest report.

Two tribes not at war

This report attempts to gauge the state of both Android and iPhone markets and to determine the buying habits among consumers in both. Focused on the U.S., which is dominated by iPhones, it notes that when it comes to the Android market manufacturers are competing with Samsung.

Apple’s iOS is unique, which means every other smartphone maker is effectively an Android maker, and they must therefore all compete against each other. In that environment, Samsung dominates, even while all Androids compete with iPhone. (CIRP’s analysis took place in the September 21 quarter).

Loyalty to both sides

The iPhone has enabled the maker to maintain the largest overall share in the US, and it has retained this as customers largely remain loyal. While there is some churn, they are also loyal to Android the researchers seem to claim – though we know Apple has the overall advantage.

Apple has had the highest brand loyalty, measured as the percent of customers purchasing a new Apple iPhone whose previous smartphone was also an iPhone. Apple has seen loyalty rates exceed 90% for the past three years.

What’s interesting next is that within the Android operating system, Samsung has a similarly strong position as Apple does within the overall smartphone market, and has 31% of sales. Among Android makers, Samsung holds 54% of sales leaving LG (9%) and Motorola – but LG is quitting the smartphone market because it’s just too darn hard.

Around two-thirds of Samsung buyers having owned another Samsung immediately previously, the report said.

So, what’s the takeaway?

I suppose it is that for so long as Samsung can compete with Apple it will continue to scoop up Android market share. It is also perhaps fair to reflect, at this stage of smartphone market development, that perhaps back in the day when Android arrived, and Steve Jobs became so annoyed – given the scale of the market with billions of sales it is perhaps for the best that competition took place. But it’s still Apple, not Android, that wears the crown – and I think it may be time for Apple to push a little harder to bring them over.

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