iPhone Responsible for 45% of US Smartphone Sales in 2013 [NPD]

Latest data released by research firm NPD Group has revealed that out of 121 million smartphones sold last year in the US, the iPhone accounted for 45%, making Apple the #1 smartphone maker in the country. The research also shows that iPhone ownership in the US increased from 35% in Q4 2012 to 42% in Q4 2013.

The second-place Samsung also saw its US smartphone market share gain slightly, from 24% in 2012 to 26% in 2013, followed by LG and HTC who represent 8% and 6% of US smartphone market respectively. Regarding an increase in smartphone data usage, NPD’s data shows that consumers’ data usage increased from 5.5 GB per month in 2012 to 6.6 GB per month in 2013. The report credits this growth in data usage to adoption of in-car streaming music services including Pandora and iHeart Radio.

According to the Connected Intelligence Smartphone Usage Report, the percent of smartphone owners that use an app to stream music increased from 41 percent in Q4 2012 to 52 percent in Q4 2013. 

The market for streaming music services is getting more competitive.  While Pandora remains the most commonly used music app in Q4 2013, it is followed by iHeart Radio, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, and Slacker Radio.

NPD’s data, which measures activities of U.S. consumers 18 or older who purchase a mobile phone or smartphone, does not include corporate mobile phone purchases.