Android maintains its European domination

The latest smartphone sales data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech* shows that Android continues to gain share across Europe, now holding over two thirds of the market.

Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, explains: “Android continues to dominate the European market in the build up to the iPhone 5 release, increasing its share by 20.2% in the past year. Surprisingly, Windows has managed to maintain its 5% share despite a raft of new Windows 8 products being announced. However, this has been achieved through heavy discounting.

Phones with bigger screens are becoming noticeably more popular – 29% of the Android devices sold in the past 12 weeks have a screen size of over 4.5 inches.

Dominic continues: “It is interesting to look at the impact a larger screen size has on how consumers use their smartphones, particularly as the line between tablets and smartphones becomes more blurred. Consumers who own a smartphone with a larger screen tend to be much more engaged with their device across a whole array of functions. For example, only 19% of consumers with a screen smaller than three inches download/watch videos, compared to 65% when the screen is five inches or more.

“However, bigger screens don’t just lead to an improved consumer experience; they also play a key part in customer retention. ComTech data shows that the more engaged consumers are with their device, the more likely they are to stay loyal to an OS/brand when they upgrade.”

* 12 w/e 5th August 2012

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