Apple reclaims lead in US smartphone market

SAN FRANCISCO - Latest data released on Tuesday showed that Apple has reclaimed the first place in the US smartphone market on soaring sales of its new device iPhone 5.

For the past 12 weeks ended on Oct 28, iPhone 5 sales boosted Apple to the No 1 spot in the US market, with handsets running on Apple's iOS operating system accounting for 48.1 percent of smartphone sales in the country, according to sales data from market research company Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

A customer holds up an Apple iPhone 5 to pose for a photo during an exclusive sale by Belgian operator Mobistar in Brussels, in this Sept 28, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

During the same period, sales of smartphones powered by Google' s Android platform claimed 46.7 percent of the US market.

"The last time we saw iOS overtake Android in the US was when the iPhone 4S was released and Apple managed to retain its lead for three consecutive periods," the research company said in its report.

The report pointed out that the iPhone 5 success is built on consumer loyalty. Around 62 percent of iPhone 5 sales in the US came from existing iPhone owners upgrading to the new device.

Meanwhile, around 13 percent of new iPhone 5 owners switched from Android devices and some 6 percent from Blackberry phones.

However, research by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech found that Apple doesn't have the same success in Europe where Android phones still take the lead.

The research company noted that Germany is a tough market for Apple as its market share fell by 5.1 percent over the past year and Android phones accounted for 73.9 percent of smartphone sales. The Samsung Galaxy S3, one of iPhone's major competitors, took almost a quarter of smartphone sales in Germany over the past 12 weeks.

Among the other European countries covered by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech's research, namely France, Italy, Spain and Britain, iPhone is enjoying share gains in terms of sales, but cannot catch up with Android devices.