iPhone 6/6s is the Best-Selling Smartphone in China: Kantar

The iPhone has been losing market share in the US, according to the latest data released by Kantar Worldpanel. As of the end of January 2016, Apple’s US market share stood at 39.1%, which compares to the 42.8% recorded a year earlier.

Only a small percentage of first-time US smartphone buyers opted for an iPhone in the three-month period between November 2015 and the end of January 2016, the market research firm has found. The biggest winner was Android, which saw 30.6% of sales coming from that segment, Chief Research and Head of US Business Carolina Milanese explained.

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That compares to only 13.7% of first-time smartphone buyers who went with an iPhone during the tracked period. The top brand choice of customers was Samsung, followed by LG, Motorola, ZTE, and Alcatel.

“Looking at the three months individually, January was the weakest month for Apple in China as more price-sensitive consumers might have been waiting to see what promotions Chinese New Year would bring in early February,” said Carolina Milanesi, chief of research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. “In the rest of the world, smartphone platform dynamics remained pretty stable period-over-period, with no surprises.”

That didn’t stop Apple from growing in popularity in China. According to Kantar’s data, iOS market share continued to grow year-over-year, although at a slower pace. The iPhone 6, 6s, and 6s Plus were the most sought-after smartphones in urban China, the firm says. Apple remained the most popular brand in the country, capturing 25% of smartphone sales.

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