Apple’s impressive 39 percent April market share puts it in a comfortable first place position in the US smartphone market. The Cupertino-based technology company is the United States’ biggest smartphone supplier, boasting a 39.2 percent share of the domestic smartphone market and an equal share of the mobile OS industry.
Both Apple and chief competitor Samsung experienced an increase in their market share recently as sales of competing manufacturers’ models, most notably HTC and Motorola, continued to decrease. Motorola, HTC, and LG, three of the United States’ five largest phone manufacturers, have a combined share below that of Apple Inc.
While Apple’s first place position is undeniably impressive, the Cupertino-based company faces shareholder concern that it’s losing its dominant position. Apple’s market share was over forty percent just twelve months ago, indicating a sizable decrease in overall iPhone ownership following the release of the iPhone 5.
On the operating system front, both Apple and key rival Google have fared well, as tech-friendly Android climbs into first place with a 52 percent market share. Apple enjoyed a 39.2 percent operating system market share with its iOS platform – a 1.4 percent increase in its user base since January of this year.
As mobile advertising and application sales continue to grow in scale, dominance of the mobile operating system industry is becoming increasingly important for phone software companies. Google’s Adwords system has branched out to mobile in recent years, with Apple introducing its own display advertising network known as iAd.
With over 138 million Americans owning their own smartphone, both Apple and leading hardware rivals such as Samsung and HTC are reporting increased sales, despite their constantly shifting market share positions. As smartphones increase further in popularity, both companies are expected to enjoy enhanced sales.
