Apple And Samsung Smartphones Widen Lead Over LG And Motorola
Apple owns 47% brand share among existing smartphone units
Parks Associates announced new research today in smartphone ownership showing that Apple and Samsung have widened their brand share lead over LG and Motorola
among the installed base of smartphones in the U.S. The international firm shows that LG has fallen to just 9% of
consumer-reported brand share, behind Apple (47%) and Samsung (29%).
"Samsung's market share has held at approximately 30% of the installed smartphone base since 2015, indicating that the
issues related to its Galaxy Note line last year did little to impact its market position overall," said Kristen Hanich, Research Analyst, Parks Associates. "The new Galaxy S8 and Note 8 have sold better than their predecessors, signifying
a strong consumer interest in Samsung's premium smartphone brands. Nevertheless, Apple still has a sizeable lead in
market share and maintains a tight replacement cycle."
Parks Associates notes that Apple's dominance is likely to continue in the coming years. According to the firm, 75% of
iPhone users may upgrade over the next couple of years.
"Most Apple fans are waiting for the iPhone X," Hanich said. "The iPhone 8 offers an attractive mix of features but
doesn't differentiate itself enough from the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 7, whereas the X has a very distinctive look. The
X's powerful on-device artificial intelligence and facial recognition abilities are also of great interest to consumers
who want to buy the best available device. However, Apple's limited production of the X may have a negative impact on
upgrade rates over the next few months."
360 View: Mobility & The App Economy, which quantifies mobile device and service usage and preferences, shows that HTC has fallen from fourth in share of
the installed base at 9% in 2012 to sixth in 2017 with just 2% market share. Additional data and analysis from the
research include:
Huawei could pose a threat to LG, Motorola, and ZTE as it expands its U.S. sales channels in late 2017 and 2018.
ZTE's market share has increased from 1% in 2015 to 2% in 2017.
About 65% of Samsung smartphone users have a model more than two years old.
Parks Associates also recently released two industry reports assessing the mobile and broadband landscape:
Modern Broadband: Impact of Wireless on Fixed-line examines the use of cellular and Wi-Fi connections for in-home and out-of-home data needs. The report addresses the
impact of these wireless technologies on fixed-line broadband services and evaluates consumer usage of both options.
Report includes a five-year forecast for fixed-line global broadband household connections.
Mobile Data Services: Business Model Assessment analyzes how global mobile operators sell mobile data services, manage customer loyalty programs, develop innovative
services, and offer customer incentives such as zero-rated services and international travel plans. It also provides a
global forecast of mobile data revenues earned by operators from 2017-2021.
More information about the research is available at
ENDS
About Parks Associates
Parks Associates is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging
consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital for companies
ranging from Fortune 500 to small start-ups through market reports, primary studies, consumer research, custom research,
workshops, executive conferences, and annual service subscriptions.
The company's expertise includes the Internet of Things (IoT), digital media and platforms, entertainment and gaming,
home networks, Internet and television services, digital health, mobile applications and services, support services,
consumer apps, advanced advertising, consumer electronics, energy management, and home control systems and security.
Each year, Parks Associates hosts industry webcasts, the CONNECTIONS™ Conference Series, Smart Energy Summit: Engaging
the Consumer, and Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers.