Android continues to dominate the UK phone market, despite the coming of the iPhone 5. Apple makes a third of phones sold, but more than half of phones flogged in the UK run Google software -- while BlackBerry has experienced another disastrous dip in sales.
New phone figures from the numbercrunchers at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech reveal that the iPhone 5 had a relatively small impact on iPhone sales. Although iOS sales climbed 5 per cent over this time last year, Android sales climbed 7 per cent to grab 54 per cent of the total market share.
Meanwhile BlackBerry sales fell of a cliff. RIM's market share nosedived from 19 per cent to just 7.9 per cent as former BlackBerry addicts abandon their clicky keyboards for Android or iPhone.
In the US iOS edges out Android after a huge 25 per cent climb following the arrival of the iPhone 5 earlier this year. It's a more clear-cut two-horse race in the US as Windows Phone, Blackberry et al hold a negligible amount of sales.
BlackBerry phones make up less than 2 per cent of the American market -- another disastrous fall from 8.5 per cent this time last year. There's evidently a bigger market for the Qwerty keyboard in the States, but that's still a worrying number for RIM, which is banking on BlackBerry 10 to rescue its fortunes.
BlackBerry 10 makes its debut on two new phones in the new year, and is supposedly going to persuade us all to ditch our laptops by turning your phone into a brain that plugs into workstations wherever you go.
Were you underwhelmed by the iPhone 5? Have you ditched BlackBerry? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
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Comments 14
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anonymous 28 November, 2012 14:02
Ditched my BlackBerry for iPhone 4s and ditching that for Samsung Galaxy S3.
Matt Winston. 28 November, 2012 14:07
Nothing surprising here. Most people that brought the new iPhone are people that owned an iPhone before. I know lots of people with BlackBerrys, but they've moved mostly to the Samsung Galaxy range, however, they kept their BB because of their messaging services.
anonymous 28 November, 2012 14:11
From the above report, basically its only US who can't see the flaw in Apple/Iphone 5 and can't realise and Android is better and Samsung makes much better phones. Lol!!!
Right after Iphone launch mostly you will get blog posts These many sold in a week, these many in a month. This time nothing! It seems like apple doesn't want to give out what a failure Iphone 5 is.
anonymous 28 November, 2012 16:12
USA : ios works (maps better, siri has proper listings, search results etc.). Therefore people buy iPhones with good reason.
Rest of world : Apple don't seem to bother/care. Therefore Android prevails!
anonymous 28 November, 2012 16:30
Samsung galaxy SIII & HTC ONE X smart phone's camera is good but they should be more more improved because their high end configuration of other hardware inside the phone. Google should be more concern to improve n bug fixed smartphone OS. Stoney smart phone's camera is awesome; but other hardware configuration is very low in this current quad core, full HD display, 2 gb ram, high end GUI n so on. The iPhone 5 has a design flaw which causes purple distortion on pictures with high intensity lighting (like the sun). Apple should improved their iOS high end asap and also the hardware inside or very soon their condition will become present situation of Blackberry.
Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S™II Skyrocket™ an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
anonymous 28 November, 2012 17:46
Also don't forget America has a really high GDP, i.e people have more money to buy their iPhones which is a large deterrent back in the UK. Also I'm out in the states atm, and most people have these really expensive contracts and the pricing between iPhone and mid-range androids is not that different. note that when cnet say the iphone is $250 in the US, they didn't mention that you have to get a $50 a month contract on top!!
anonymous 28 November, 2012 18:30
@anonymous 28 November, 2012 16:30 said..."The iPhone 5 has a design flaw which causes purple distortion on pictures with high intensity lighting (like the sun)."
Did you know that the Nexus 4 also suffers from this purple fringing too?
anonymous 28 November, 2012 21:13
It must be remembered that most of the Android smartphones in the UK are not high-end phones like the S3 or One X, but much cheaper budget and mid-priced models that are given away on Pay Monthly contracts, or bought on PAYG deals.
The high-end phones only account for a quarter or less of total sales. This part of the market is where Apple competes and where the rich pickings are to be had. They don't currently sell into the low cost sector.
The vast majority of users of these phones didn't choose Android over anything else. The OS is what came with the phone. It would also be fair to say a lot of those users would love an iPhone if they could afford it and the OS means nothing to may of them.
Matt Winston. 28 November, 2012 22:16
I agree with you anon 21:13, except for your last comment. On every single poll, even on CNET UK's own polls, the Samsung Galaxy S3 comes out on top, on what people believe is the UK's best phone.
Plus, more people want the S3 on CNET's review of the S3 than CNET's review of the iPhone.
anonymous 29 November, 2012 00:39
@Matt Winston. 28 November, 2012 22:16
"...Plus, more people want the S3 on CNET's review of the S3 than CNET's review of the iPhone".
Matt, that's CNET's poll of CNET readers, who account for a tiny fraction of the mobile phone market.
98% of mobile phone users will have never viewed a "tech web site", nor will they ever do so.
Matt Winston. 29 November, 2012 01:17
Still, over 12,000 people or 12,000+ CNET UK readers would rather have the S3 over the iPhone, for which around 2000 CNET UK readers want it. My overall point was, on most polls in the UK, the S3 an Android phones comes out on top.
And where did you get your "The high-end phones only account for a quarter or less of total sales" from??
anonymous 29 November, 2012 09:10
I work for a well known High St. phone company.
The Galaxy S3 is one of the best selling phones we supply, and the Note is proving quite popular too, but it is true that more expensive premium phones like these are outsold by about 4 to 1 by cheaper phones.
The margins on the more expensive phones with Android are better too and that's why we promote them and why the iPhone doesn't have such prominence in the store.
Lots of people come in and ask for an iPhone, but those who want "something like an iPhone" are directed away to one of the alternatives where we make more commission and profit.
Matthew Russell 29 November, 2012 21:11
Pretty sure still alot of people in the uk still use blackberry, maybe even more than iphone
anonymous 31 January, 2013 11:04
I love my BlackBerry PlayBook, but for this money, I would rather have the Lumia 920. The iPhone is crap and so it comes down to a Nexus 4 or, again the Nokia Lumia 920- the most popular selling phone in Expansy's and Phones 4U apparently- though the iPhone 5 is best selling in the Carphone Warehouse- as it is the cheapest deal in the UK (check Omio first!)