According to the latest data from Counterpoint Research, Apple’s iPhone 6 models have helped double its smartphone marketshare in South Korea, Samsung’s home country, reports the Wall Street Journal.
While Apple made inroads in other countries such as Japan and China thanks to these newer models, the largest increase was in South Korea, where marketshare jumped from less than 15% the year before to 33%. Clearly, Asia craved and welcomed a larger screened iPhone.
Apple also passed LG (another South Korean company), which had its marketshare at 14%, to move closer towards Samsung which saw its share dip below 46%; back in November, Samsung was floating around 60% smartphone marketshare in the country. By breaking past 20% market share, Apple has made history and done what no other company has been able to accomplish before in South Korea:
“No foreign brand has gone beyond the 20% market share mark in the history of Korea’s smartphone industry,” said Tom Kang, research director for mobile devices at Counterpoint. “It has always been dominated by the global smartphone leader, Samsung. But iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have made a difference here, denting the competition’s phablet sales.”
Meanwhile, Apple also dominated in Japan. The launch of the iPhone 6 models helped the company jump from the mid-teens to 51%, surpassing local company Sony, which had 17% share in November.
As for China, Apple sat in third place with 12% share in November, behind Lenovo at 13%, while alleged iPhone copycat Xiaomi ranked in first place at 18%. As for Samsung? It has long lost its crown in China and suffered a steep drop to fourth place with a 9% share. Still though, Apple’s iPhone sales in China surged 45% compared to a year ago, reports Counterpoint.
Pretty impressive for Apple to make such huge inroads in South Korea, Samsung’s home turf. South Koreans are a loyal bunch and pride themselves on buying ‘Korean’. Looks like the larger iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus proved too irresistible.
