Android’s already-sizeable lead over iOS in Europe is increasing at an accelerated rate.
While Apple tends to get all the mainstream press, and iPhones sell better than any individual Android rival, Google’s platform as a whole is considerably more popular than iOS.
What’s more, the gap between Android and iOS is increasing – particularly in Europe.
The latest smartphone OS data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech for the first quarter of 2016 shows that Android now represents 75.6 percent of the market across the five major European countries (Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain).
That’s a 7.1 percent increase, marking Android’s highest growth in more than two years.
“What’s more,” says analyst Lauren Guenveur, “the growth is coming not just from one or two players, but from different brands and ecosystems, varying from region to region.”
As always, it seems, Android’s strength is in numbers.
Naturally, Android’s gain in the so-called EU5 is iOS’s loss. Apple’s platform declined from 20.2 percent to 18.9 percent across the region during Q1.
Related: Android vs iOS vs Windows 10 Mobile
However, it’s Windows that has been the biggest loser in Android’s recent surge. The figures show that 6.6 percent of new Android users came from a Windows mobile device, compared to 3.3 percent from iOS. Meanwhile, just 2.6 percent of new iOS users came from Windows.
There’s similarly strong growth for Android in the smartphone heartland of the US, where the platform’s market share is up 7.3 points to 65.5 percent. Meanwhile, in the world’s biggest smartphone market of China, Android is up six points to a dominant 77 percent.
Next, check out our smartphone buyers guide video:
Have you made the switch to Android recently? Let us know in the comments below.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.