Apple Inc. Beats Samsung In US Smartphone Market Last Quarter

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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) continue to fight over the top position among smartphone suppliers, accounting for two-thirds of the US smartphone market between them according to 1Q research from Counterpoint (h/t Daniel Eran Dilger at Apple Insider). While Samsung was the top handset brand overall, Apple (which doesn’t make low end mobile phones) was the top smartphone supplier.

A few rungs down the ladder, TCL-Alcatel managed to become the fifth largest smartphone supplier and fourth largest handset supplier in the US, mostly by stealing market share from Huawei Technology Co Ltd (SHE:002502).

Apple top-selling brand at three of four major carriers

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) dominated in-carrier sales, accounting for more than half the smartphone sales at AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), more than a third of Sprint Corporation (NYSE:S)’s smartphone sales, and nearly a quarter at T-Mobile, the only carrier that sold more Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) smartphones than iPhones. Samsung was the second-most popular brand at the other three carriers. T-Mobile USA, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG (FRA:DTE) (PINK:DTEGY) (ETR:DTE), has overtaken Sprint to become the third largest smartphone carrier in the US in terms of volume, and is now closing in on AT&T, a feat that Counterpoint attributes to its ‘uncarrier strategy’ and innovative fee structures that have distinguished it from other carriers and drawn in new customers.

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL)’s Android was the most popular mobile OS last quarter increasing its position to 59.2% of new sales in the US market, followed by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS with 36.9%, and Windows Phone with 3.6%. BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) accounts for just a fraction of a percent of smartphones shipped in the US last quarter.

Smartphones account for 87% of US mobile sales

The US smartphone market grew 7% in 1Q14 and now accounts for 87% of all handset shipments. This is a new record, but as smartphones become more affordable it seems reasonable that they will continue to take larger and larger shares of units shipped. LTE or 4G smartphones are also picking up speed, accounting for about three out of four smartphones shipped in the US. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) have almost as much of a lead in this segment, with a combined 70% market share of LTE shipments.

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