Android OS Most Popular In UK with 37% Market Share

Apple may still be the leading brand on the UK smartphone market but Google seems to be speeding up in the next lane. According to new figures from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, published in the Guardian, Google’s smartphone OS, Android, now has the biggest market share.

Figures show that nearly 37% of UK smartphones run under Android, whereas Apple’s iPhone models account for 28.5%. However, it is very likely that iPhone is still the most popular brand, as Android is used by various competitors, including Samsung, HTC, LG and Motorola.

The survey also provides a snapshot of smartphone sales during the four weeks to 23 January. Android-operated devices make up about half of the total sales, while Apple accounts for just under a third, leaving RIM’s Blackberry behind, with a share of 15%, while the remaining 6% are spread among other brands.

At present, more than half of the UK adult population own a smartphone and predictions are that sales will pick up over the course of the year, as more and more people start to adopt smartphones as multi-purpose devices.

Kantar Worldpanel ComTech’s global insight director Dominic Sunnebo comments that, for the first time in the UK, smartphone owners outnumber those who do not have one. Mobile devices such as smartphones provide unlimited opportunities for manufacturers and retailers and the market is very competitive, he adds.

Apple still outperforms Android in the US, with a share of 48.4%, while the latter holds 42.8%, figures reveal.