Huge demand for the new iPhone 4S helped push Apple sales ahead of Android in October, with Apple selling more than three times as many mobiles last month than in any of the three previous months, according to data from Kantar Worldpanel Com Tech.
The figures show that Apple accounted for more than two in five (42.8 per cent) of all UK smartphone sales in October, overtaking Android which accounted for 35 per cent of the market.
However, Android still had the majority share over the 12 weeks to October 30, at 46 per cent compared to 34.2 per cent a year ago. Apple’s slice of the UK smartphone OS market was 27.8 per cent – 2.8 per cent higher than the same period in 2010.
Overall smartphone sales grew by 43 per cent last month and made up 70 per cent of total mobile sales over the 12 weeks, meaning that nearly half (44.8 per cent) of the British population now owns a smartphone handset.
Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at Com Tech, said: “The October launch of the hugely anticipated iPhone 4S has catapulted Apple into second place among operating systems based on the last 12 weeks of sales.”
“However, if you just look at the month of October, Apple took a whopping 42.8 [per cent] share of all smartphone sales, giving it a significant lead over Android (which accounted for 35 [per cent]) – a feat many thought was impossible.”
He added that AppleiPhone 4S owners previously owning the iPhone 3G, 3GS or 4 models – “demonstrating that quite a few people bought themselves out of their contracts to get hold of the 4S “.
