Apple’s iPhone 6 Models Take 44% Share of U.S. Phablet Sales: Kantar

IPhone models

The iPhone 6 was launched just in time: Phablet sales are rising, and Apple’s handset is there to take its share, according to data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. Phablets took 21% of all US smartphone sales in the first three months of 2015, nearly quadrupling their 6% share from the same period a year ago.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus took 44% of this segment. Screen size was cited as the main reason for buying a particular phone by both iOS and Android buyers at 43% and 47%, respectively.

Apple’s latest handset took the majority of sales among the country’s three major wireless carriers – AT&T, Sprint and Verizon – accounting for 59%, 50%, and 43% of all smartphone sales, respectively.

As it turns out, 64% of the iPhone install base in the US owns an iPhone 5 or newer model, while the latest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models account for 18% of all iPhones in use in the country. That’s a “decent” Apple Watch customer base the company is trying to attract.

In terms of market share, Android still holds the majority of the phablet install base in the US: 58.1% compared to Apple’s 44%.

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