Android takes market share from iOS in urban China
The latest figures from market research firm Kantar Worldpanel suggests that local Android brands are taking market share from Apple in urban China. For the three months ending February 2016, Android’s market share, boosted by strong sales over the Chinese New Year holiday, rose 3.4% YoY to 76.4%, while Apple's iPhone market share dropped 3.2% YoY. Huawei returned to the top of China’s smartphone brand leader board with a share of 24.4%, ahead of Apple’s 22.2%, while up-and-coming local brands Meizu and Oppo each accounted for about 6% of smartphone sales.

The prosperous urban regions of China – where almost all the emerging middle class are to be found – is a key market for premium smartphone models, and the latest figures from Kantar Worldpanel suggest that local Android brands are taking market share from Apple.

The latest smartphone OS data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech for the three months ending February 2016 shows that Android increased its sales share in urban China to 76.4% from 73% in the same period a year ago. In the US and EU5, Android continued to make year-on-year gains.

Apple saw the iPhone’s market share drop 3.2% in the same period.

Kantar said that Android gains were due to both older and newer Chinese brands.

Huawei was able to recapture the top spot on the Smartphone brand leader board, capturing 24.4% of Smartphones sold in urban China, just ahead of Apple’s 22.2% […] Up-and-coming local brands Meizu and Oppo both showed strong year-on-year growth, each capturing about 6% of smartphone sales.

Kantar does, though, believe that the iPhone SE may provide Android smartphones with increased competition, offering an appealing option for those Android owners who would prefer an iPhone but have been constrained by the high purchase cost.