'
ComScore’s
figures also show that in terms of smartphone manufacturers, Apple also
continues to lead the pack. Its share among OEMs rose 3.9 percentage
points during the three month period, while Samsung gained only 1
percent percentage point, rising from 20.3 percent of the U.S. market to
21.3 percent. That means Apple and the iPhone continue to enjoy almost
double the smartphone manufacturer share of its next closest rival.
The loser in this case wasn’t either Apple or Samsung, however, both
of whom gained subscribers and share, but BlackBerry, which as a
platform shed 1.7 million subscribers in the U.S. between November and
February. These numbers predate the launch of BB10, however, so we’ll
have to watch to see if that helps BlackBerry stem the tide of users
leaving.
Of
course, both Google and Samsung stand to reap the benefits of upcoming
device launches, which could help swing the pendulum back in their favor
over the coming months. Samsung is on the verge of debuting its
next-generation flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4, with pre-orders
beginning in just a couple of weeks. The HTC One is also coming to the
U.S. market in mid-April, which could give Android as a platform
additional firepower in terms of competing with iOS and the iPhone.
Apple’s success to date has been based on the strong performance of
the iPhone 5 since launch, and that device seems to continue to be an
attractive choice for U.S. subscribers. There still doesn’t appear to be
much in the way of a true race for a third platform, however, with
Microsoft and BlackBerry either actively losing share or seeing only
insignificant gains. The market is now at a crucial juncture in terms of
product releases, but the fight looks likely to continue to remain a
two-party affair for the foreseeable future.
