Apple market share dips following late release of iPhone X
Android is up across the board while Apple's only growth comes from urban China
The late release of the iPhone X has left Apple's growth languishing behind Android in key markets, according to Kantar Worldpanel.
Insight from the analytics firm shows that for the three months ending October 2017, iOS market share fell alongside Windows, while Android spiked across the board.
Android was able to to gain 4.3% in the big five European markets, 8.2% in the USA, and 7.5% in Japan.
Urban China was the only region where Apple held strong, with its share creeping up by 0.5%, reaching a total of 17.4%. However, this was offset by universal growth from the five major brands in China - Huawei, Xiaomo, Apple, Vivo, and Oppo - which made up 91% of sales, compared to 79% in 2016.
The shift was "somewhat inevitable", says Kantar Worldpanel global business director Dominic Sunnebo.
"This decrease is significant and puts pressure on the iPhone X to perform," he added. "Considering the complete overhaul that the iPhone X offers, consumers may be postponing their purchase decisions until they can test the iPhone X and decide whether the higher price, compared to the iPhone 8, is worth the premium to them."
Apple consumers are also holding onto their device for longer than before, according to Sunnebo. As of October 2017, 35.3% of Apple's install base in Europe and the US had their phones for two years or more, an increase from 30.1% the year prior.