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Apple's iOS loses smartphone share in France, Germany : study

Apple?s iOS operating system has lost share of smartphone sales across much of Europe, according to new research from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

For the 12 weeks ended Nov. 27, iOS? share dropped in France, Germany, Italy and Spain compared with the same period a year ago. During the same period, iOS gained share in Britain, the United States and Australia.

?In Great Britain, the U.S. and Australia, Apple?s new iPhone continues to fly off the shelf in the run up the Christmas, reversing the share losses seen during much of 2011,? said Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director of Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, London, in a statement. ?However, this trend is far from universal, with sales in Germany and France somewhat underwhelming.?

Android gains
Europe?s ailing economy is the main reason for iOS? share loss, according to Kantar.

IOS?s share of smartphone sales in Germany was 21.9 percent, down 5.2 percent from a year ago and in France, iOS had a 19.7 share, down 9.3 percent. In Italy, Apple?s share was 22 percent, down 5.1 percent and in Spain 7 percent, down 6.5 percent.

Apple reversed some of its losses elsewhere following the release of a new iPhone. In Britain, iOS had a 30.9 percent share, up 9.5 percent, in the U.S. a 35.8 percent share, up 11.1 percent and in Australia, a 41.3 percent share, up 1.4 percent.

Android achieved a dominant 61 percent share of smartphone sales in Germany with the Samsung Galaxy S II the top selling handset.

Google?s Android mobile operating system made significant gains elsewhere as well, with its share of smartphone sales increasing 11.8 percent in Britain to give it a 46.4 percent share and France, Android?s share was up 19.3 percent for a 49.6 percent piece of the action. Android?s share in Italy was 46.1 percent, up 35.1 percent, in Spain it was 58.6 percent, up 44 percent, in the U.S. is was 52.8 percent, up 7.9 percent and in Australia, it was 46.7 percent, up 26.4 percent.

The report also showed significant share losses for Symbian across the board. RIM experienced losses in a few countries but posted modest gains in France, Italy and Spain.

?Typically Christmas gifting in the mobile market doesn?t really get started until December,? Mr. Sunnebo said. ?Last year just under a third of all phones bought were given as presents and this figure rose to 46 percent in December 2010.

?Blackberry handsets were the most popular, making up 40 percent of the smartphones bought as gifts last December,? he said. ?We think this trend will be repeated in 2011.?

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York