Samsung dominates Apple in Australian smartphone sales
Samsung remains the leading smartphone brand in Australia, grabbing market share from both Apple and Microsoft's Windows Phone.
In the smartphone space, Android has enjoyed overall dominance in terms of total unit sales for some time in Australia. In the past three months that trend has continued to the point where Samsung alone has taken over Apple as the most dominant single mobile phone brand. According to the latest Kantar Worldpanel ComTech data, Android now accounts for 64% of the local market, up from 60.1% for the first quarter of the year.
Here is how the local market has shifted over the last twelve months in terms of respective market share.
| Australia | 3 Months to April 2015 | 3 Months to April 2106 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android | 54.4% | 64% | 9.6% |
| iOS | 36.3% | 32.7% | -3.6% |
| Windows | 7.6% | 2.8% | -4.8% |
| Other | 1.7% | 1.5% | -0.2% |
While iOS has lost ground, the biggest loser in this battle has been Windows Mobile, which has all but collapsed in the Australian marketplace, which mirrors the platform's global performance.
In a direct manufacturer comparison, Apple – was once king with the iPhone – has been usurped by Samsung, with 36.5% of smartphone sales in the period being Samsung devices. The flagship Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge accounted for 9.3% of all handset sales, and even the older Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge managed to secure 6.4% of sales.
Samsung’s dominance is interesting given that in the local market its overall share has actually declined in favour of competitor Android brands. Samsung commands 57% of the market, an 8% drop largely grabbed by entry level competitors Huawei (8.3% of the local market), Alcatel (3.4%) and ZTE (3.2%). Sony and LG have both improved slightly in local terms with 7% and 4.2% of local sales respectively.
It’s not all bad news for Apple, however, as the iPhone 6s as a standalone model is still the single best selling smartphone in Australia with 10.8% local market share. Still, compared against the iPhone 6’s market position twelve months ago, where it enjoyed a 17% standalone share, it’s still a dip in Apple’s local fortunes.
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