Ahead of the iPhone 5S/5C launches, the iPhone managed to take share (on a Y/Y basis) in the US, Europe, and Japan, according to Kantar Woldpanel's latest data.
Kantar estimates the iPhone had a 39.3% share of U.S. smartphone sales in the June-August timeframe, +540 bps Y/Y. In the EU5, where the iPhone has been losing ground to Android, its share rose 200 bps to 16.1%, and in Japan, it rose to 48.6% prior to the start of NTT DoCoMo's 5S/5C sales.
The UK (27.5%) is Apple's strongest major European market.Android respectively had US, EU5, and Japanese shares of 55.1% (-560 bps), 70.1% (+130 bps), and 46.7%. It's still taking share from the iPhone in China ahead of an expected China Mobile iPhone deal. Android's Chinese share rose 920 bps to 72.4%, while the iPhone's fell 270 bps to 20.8%.
Europe is turning out to be a bright spot for Windows Phone: Kantar estimates Microsoft's OS had a 9.2% share in the EU5, +420 bps Y/Y. Nokia's Lumia 925 and 1020 launches, along with strong demand for the low-end 520, likely helped. But WP only had a 3% share in the U.S., and a 2.1% share in China.