In Europe, Samsung's Galaxy S5 Comes In Behind Apple's iPhone
Samsung might have hoped its Galaxy S5 would steal some of the iPhone's dominance in Europe, but according to recent research the smartphone is still the third most-popular handset (behind Apple's iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c).
Despite this, however, the Galaxy S5 did manage to convert iOS users into Android fans: Kantar Worldpanel (via AppleInsider) explains that 17 percent of new S5 owners made the switch from the iPhone during the first few months of the handset's availability.
Kantar Worldpanel ComTech strategic insight director Dominic Sunnebo said:
In general, consumers buying the Galaxy S5 were primarily attracted by its large screen size. This is something Apple is likely to address with the rumoured larger screen iPhone 6 launch expected in late September.
Indeed, the iPhone 6 is expected to come in two versions, with each one sporting a bigger display (of 4.7-inches and 5.5-inches). This could help Apple steal away some of Google's smartphone market share: at present, Android holds 73.3 percent of the European market, while iOS accounts for 16.6 percent and Windows holds 8.1 percent.
It's significant, however, that Android's market share isn't on the increase – for Kantar Worldpanel, this indicates that “platform mix is rising, meaning Samsung and Apple have been trading customers over the past month.”
Cupertino's anticipated bigger iPhones are expected to help its share of the smartphone market in China, too. Here, customers have long been calling for a larger iPhone handset, and many are said to be avoiding Apple's device until a bigger version has been released.
Besides offering users a larger screen, the iPhone 6 is also expected to feature a sapphire glass display, an Apple A8 processor, and additional under-the-hood performance improvements.
We'll keep you updated with further information as we receive it.
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