Samsung Electronics is still outperforming Apple in smartphone sales in the United States, albeit only by a small margin, the latest data compiled by Kantar Worldpanel shows. The South Korean original equipment manufacturer accounted for 35.2 percent of all smartphone sales in the U.S. over a three-month period ending August 31st, with Apple seizing 35 percent of the market during the same time frame. The Cupertino, California-based tech giant is still expected to surpass Samsung in the context of the third quarter of the calendar year, with its iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus having debuted after the period reviewed by Kantar, though the newly compiled data still indicates that Samsung is more than capable of holding its own and leading the U.S. market during commercially less busy seasons. The company grew its U.S. market share by 0.8 percent year-on-year during the observed period and is expected to improve that momentum going forward.
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Samsung has been performing reasonably well in Great Britain, largely thanks to the stellar reception enjoyed by the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Plus, and the Galaxy J3 (2016), the latest report indicates. Samsung’s GB performance was seemingly only challenged by the iPhone SE but not to a significant degree, but much like in the U.S., this fall will likely see a major shift in terms of sales distribution, especially once the highly anticipated iPhone X makes its way to the Old Continent. Regardless of Samsung’s recent European successes, iOS still grew its market share on the continent by 1.2 percentage points compared to last year, the data shows. Improved sales of the Galaxy S8 lineup in GB are believed to be primarily prompted by Samsung’s numerous promotional activities in the region which became more aggressive as Apple was getting closer to launching its next-generation iPhone devices, which wasn’t a coincidence but a meticulously planned and carefully executed strategy, Kantar’s experts believe.
The new research also shows that Huawei maintained its dominance in urban China, holding nearly a third of the market from June to August, whereas BBK Electronics grew its presence by 6.7 percent on an annual basis and ended up with almost one fifth of the market. Apple may also impact China in the coming months, whereas Samsung’s presence in the Far Eastern country remains minimal.