Chicago – Android got its mojo back in the U.S. in the first quarter, resuming its market-share gains after a fourth-quarter dip caused by the Sept. 19 launch of the new iPhones, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) said.
“Android continues to gradually increase share of [U.S. mobile phone] activations, up from about half of activations one year ago to almost 70 percent in the most recent quarter,” said CIRP co-founder Josh Lowitz.
In the quarter ending March, Android accounted for 69 percent of U.S. activations compared to 28 percent for iPhones, CIRP said. In the fourth quarter ending December, Android’s share dipped to about 45 percent from the third quarter’s 60 percent.
“The launch of the wildly popular iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models delivered a major reversal of the steady decline in iOS US market share,” added co-founder Mike Levin. “But indications that the new, larger iPhones were accelerating upgrades, creating a temporary bump in demand, seem to be borne out by Android’s return to market leadership.”
CIRP also found that the Android and Apple iOS operating systems continue to account for more than 95 percent of U.S. mobile phone activations.
CIRP based its findings on an April 1-3 survey of 500 U.S. consumers who activated a new or used phone in the first quarter.
