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iCloud, Dropbox, Amazon top US cloud services
According to a study recently published by Strategy Analytics, Apple's iCloud and iTunes Match are tops among US consumer cloud services. The study polled 2,300 Americans and found, among other things, that 27 percent of respondents have used iCloud and/or iTunes Match. Further, 17 percent have used Dropbox and 15 percent of participants have used Amazon Cloud Drive. Unsurprisingly, the data skewed young, as most of those who use cloud services were between 20 and 24 years old. Apple's was the only service with more female than male users. You can read additional detail in the press release below. To the cloud! Show full PR text THE CLOUD STORAGE WARS: APPLE LEADS WITH 27% MARKET SHARE Dropbox hits 17% of market share with no associated content ecosystem Over half of Americans online have never used cloud storage service Boston, MA – March 21, 2013: Apple is dominating the cloud storage wars, followed by Dropbox, Amazon and Google according to Strategy Analytics 'Cloud Media Services' survey. In a recent study of almost 2,300 connected Americans, Strategy Analytics found that 27% have used Apple's iCloud followed by 17% for Dropbox, 15% for Amazon Cloud Drive and 10% for Google Play (see chart). Usage of cloud storage is heavily skewed towards younger people, in particular 20-24 year olds, whilst Apple's service is the only one with more female than male users. Amongst the big four, Google's is the one most heavily skewed towards males. Cloud storage is overwhelmingly dominated by music; around 90% of Apple, Amazon and Google's cloud users store music. Even Dropbox – which has no associated content ecosystem – sees around 45% of its users storing music files. Dropbox's recent acquisition of Audiogalaxy will add a much needed native music player to the platform in the coming months. "Music is currently the key battleground in the war for cloud domination. Google is tempting users by giving away free storage for 20,000 songs which can be streamed to any Android device, a feature both Amazon and Apple charge annual subscriptions for," observes Ed Barton, Strategy Analytics' Director of Digital Media. "However, the growth of video streaming and the desire to access content via a growing range of devices will see services such as the Hollywood-backed digital movie initiative Ultraviolet – currently used by 4% of Americans – increase market share." Barton continues, "The cloud's role in the race to win over consumers' digital media libraries has evolved from a value added service for digital content purchases to a feature-rich and increasingly device agnostic digital locker for music and movies. Dropbox being used by 1 in 6 Americans shows that an integrated content storefront isn't essential to build a large user base, however we expect competition to intensify sharply over the coming years." Strategy Analytics found that, the big four cloud storage services aside, recognition of other brands was uniformly low. Furthermore 55% of connected Americans have never used a cloud storage service – although, amongst consumers who have used one, one third (33%) had done so in the last week. "There needs to be considerable investment in evangelizing these services to a potentially willing yet largely oblivious audience," suggests Barton. "Given the size of bet Hollywood is making with Ultraviolet, this will be essential to their success given a crowded market and widespread apathy. However, more fundamental questions remain - is the use of more than one cloud service going to be too much for consumers to handle and will consolidation in such a fragmented market become inevitable?" Barton concludes, "Although cloud storage is fast becoming a key pillar of digital platform strategies for the world's leading device manufacturers and digital content distributors, there's still a lot of work to do in educating consumers – particularly those over 45. With over half of consumers yet to use any consumer cloud based service, 2013 predictions for the 'year of the cloud' seem unrealistic. However given the market influence of the leading players pushing the concept, in particular Apple, Amazon, Google and Ultraviolet, I won't be surprised to see mainstream adoption and usage spike within the next two to three years in the key US market."
Strategy Analytics: iCloud, Dropbox and Amazon top cloud media in the US
We often focus on market share for hardware, but cloud media services increasingly dictate our lives after the devices have reached our bags and pockets. Wouldn't it be nice to know who rules the online media landscape? According to Strategy Analytics' just-published study from the fall, it's Apple's iCloud and iTunes Match that are top dogs in the US at a combined 27 percent of usage -- a not entirely surprising lead when Apple has pushed hard on iCloud's media syncing since iOS 5, and has large swaths of market share in MP3 players and tablets, not just smartphones. There's a considerably tougher fight involved for just about everyone else, however, including Google. Dropbox and Amazon Cloud Player are almost neck-and-neck at 17 and 15 percent respectively, while Google Drive holds just 10 percent. Music is clearly the driving force, Strategy Analytics says: when audio represents 45 percent of the content on a generic platform like Dropbox, companies ignore tunes at their own peril. Just don't confuse market share with absolute popularity. A full 55 percent of those asked hadn't used a cloud media service at all, which suggests that there's a long road to travel before we're all streaming and syncing our collections.
iPhone 5, 4S top selling smartphones worldwide
What with Forbes speculating that Apple leaked "iWatch" plans out of desperation and the recent counterintuitive drop in share price after the company's last stellar earnings report, one would think that Apple's on the verge of going out of business. Strategy Analytics has new data out countering that notion, showing that the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S are the top-selling smartphones worldwide. In the fourth quarter of 2012, Apple shipped 27.4 million iPhone 5 handsets and 17.4 million units of the iPhone 4S worldwide. The next most popular single model of smartphone? Samsung's Galaxy S3, with 15.4 million units sold in the fourth quarter. That's right -- the 2011 iPhone 4S alone sold two million units more than the the Galaxy S3, and had an 8 percent share of the smartphone market. Add sales of the iPhone 5, and Apple's two most recent models accounted for 21 percent of all smartphone sales worldwide. That doesn't even count the iPhone 4, which Apple is offering for free with new service contracts. It's expected that Samsung will fire back with the rumored Galaxy S4 in the next couple of months to try to counteract the Apple juggernaut. By that point, it's almost certain that we'll start hearing about the iPhone 5S or 6...
Strategy Analytics: Apple's iPhone 5 tops world smartphone sales for Q4 2012
According to Strategy Analytics, Apple's iPhone 5 was already the best-selling smartphone in the US, and the survey outfit says that it also outsold all other models elsewhere on the planet, too. Cupertino's new bauble sold an estimated 27.4 million units during the period to dethrone last quarter's champ, the Samsung Galaxy S III, which landed in around 15.4 million hands globally. To top it off, the iPhone 4S actually shipped an estimated 17.4 million units to bump Samsung's best-seller down to third place, giving Apple the two most popular handsets on the planet and over 20 percent of the global market. Of course, the Korean maker might be throwing down soon with a new contender, and we know how fast you can go from champ to chump in the smartphone game.
Apple overtakes Samsung as top US mobile phone vendor
Strategy Analytics' latest mobile phone report is out, and Apple's iPhone is the winner here in the US, taking the top spot for the first time in its history. Apple displaced Samsung, which has held the title as America's most popular mobile phone brand since 2008. According to Strategy Analytics, Apple shipped 17.7 million iPhones in the quarter and grabbed a 34 percent market share. Estimates for Samsung suggest the carrier shipped 16.8 million phones for a 32.3 percent market share. LG came in third with 4.7 million units that account for 9 percent of the mobile phone market here in the US. These numbers include both smartphones and feature phones, which makes Apple's chart-topping performance that much more impressive. [Via Apple Insider]
Strategy Analytics: Apple tops US phone market for Q4 2012, but Samsung takes the year
Strategy Analytics have shared the state of the global smartphone OS market, but today it's focused specifically on the US, where the iPhone 5 helped Apple to reclaim the last quarter from Samsung. iPhone claimed 34 percent of vendor shipments in the last quarter, while Samsung's smartphone range wasn't far behind with 32.3 percent. Apple's resurgence with its new smartphone couldn't catch up with Samsung's lead earlier in the year, however, with the Korean phone-maker commanding a 31.8 percent share of all smartphones shipped over the last 12 months. Apple was next with 26.2 percent, while LG came third with 12.3 percent of all phones sold. The analytics firm reckons that 52 million devices were shipped in Q4, increasing just short of 2 million units since the same period last year. However, it also noted that annual sales in the US were actually less than in 2012 than in the preceding year, dropping just under 20 million units in the interim. Strategy Analytics pointed the finger at economic uncertainty and tougher carrier upgrade policies for the drop in shipments.
Strategy Analytics: Android claimed 70 percent of world smartphone share in Q4 2012
Maybe it's easier being green than we thought. We suspected Android would do well in smartphone market share when Strategy Analytics had Samsung surging ahead in the fourth quarter of 2012, but the firm's newer breakdown of estimated share by OS shows an even larger jump for Google's overall platform -- from 51.3 percent in fall 2011 to 70.1 percent one year later. Apple was knocked down slightly to 22 percent, although it's mostly other platforms that took the bruising. Collectively, BlackBerry, Symbian, Windows Phone and other platforms sank from 25.1 percent of the smartphone space in late 2011 to just 7.9 points as 2012 drew to a close. When just two companies' platforms make up 92 percent of smartphones, it's safe to call the result a duopoly, like Strategy Analytics does -- even if others aren't so content with the idea.
Global mobile phone shipments breached 1.6 billion units in 2012, Samsung, Apple and Nokia still on top
A charger on every nightstand and a phone in every pocket -- it could be a presidential slogan, but it's really just reality. According to research from Strategy Analytics, a staggering 1.6 billion mobile phones were shipped (not sold) globally in 2012, and 700 million of them were smartphones. Samsung, Nokia and Apple, in that order, were the biggest movers of handsets, though the latter two change places when it comes to smartphones -- Espoo only shipped 35 million to Cupertino's 135, while Samsung topped the trio at 213 million devices shipped. Surprising? Hardly -- smartphone sales climbed throughout 2012, and the aforementioned manufacturers have been kings of the category since last February. The numbers are telling though -- according to ABI Research, Apple saw less growth in 2012 than the previous year, and may hit a plateau in market share in 2013. Samsung, on the other hand, may have some room to grow -- capturing 34 percent of total smartphone shipments in Q4 with over 60 million smartphones moved. Apple nabbed 24.5% of the market with 47.8 million shipped iPhones, while Nokia and RIM took up the tail of the quarter with 86.3 and 6.9 million shipped devices, respectively. Statistic lover? You'll find full numbers (plus a little analyst speculation) in a trio of press releases after the break.
Samsung Galaxy S III bests iPhone 4S in Q3 2012 smartphone sales
The battle for smartphone superiority continues, and Samsung won out in the last quarter as the Galaxy S III beat the iPhone 4S in terms of global sales. Strategy Analytics notes that Samsung sold 18 million units of the highly touted Galaxy S III, compared to "just" 16.2 million units of Apple's iPhone 4S. As you'll recall, though, the iPhone 5 hit shelves at the end of Q3 2012. That likely caused some cannibalization of iPhone 4S sales, as potential buyers may have delayed purchases until the release of the iPhone 5. Don't worry about Apple -- Strategy Analytics believes that the iPhone 5 will handily trounce the Galaxy S III in Q4 2012. As the firm notes, Apple has already sold 6 million of the smartphones with almost two months remaining in the last quarter of the year.
Samsung Galaxy S III dethrones iPhone 4S as smartphone sales champ for Q3 2012
The Galaxy S III has overtaken Apple's iPhone 4S for the first time ever to become the top selling smartphone for Q3 2012, according to Strategy Analytics. Samsung claimed the pole position by shipping 18 million copies of its flagship handset during the quarter, compared to Cupertino's 16.2 million iPhone 4S units. Of course, serendipity is also likely at play, as the iPhone 5 hit shelves towards the end of that period, likely cannibalizing 4S sales -- in fact, the market research firm thinks Apple's new top handset will likely trump Samsung in Q4. That means the Korean giant may have to step up its game, or it'll just be keeping the top spot warm for its arch-competitor. Check the PR after fold for more info.
Strategy Analytics claims Android reached 41 percent of tablets in Q3, iPad may have felt the heat
Three months can make all the difference, at least if you're drafting estimates at Strategy Analytics. Now that we know 14 million iPads shipped in the third quarter, the analyst group believes that Apple's tablet market share dropped from 68.3 percent in the spring to 56.7 percent in the summer. All of the shift is attributed to Android -- researchers think that shipments of Google-based tablets surged from 7.3 million to 10.2 million, handing the platform 41 percent of an increasingly crowded space. It's the "collective weight" of so many Android-reliant companies leaping into the market rather than any one of them pulling ahead, Strategy Analytics says. We wouldn't be shocked if a few Kindle Fire HD sales played a part. More than a few wildcards still surround the figures and their long-term impact. First is that these are estimates, not concrete results: companies like Amazon steadfastly refuse to provide shipment numbers and leave most of the final tally beyond Apple to educated guesswork. It's also an understatement to say that the market will change dramatically before 2012 is over. Between Windows 8's launch, possible Nexus 7 upgrades and two new iPads, there are a lot of pieces moving on the chessboard.
Research: Over 1 billion smartphones in use
Sometimes it appears that everyone in the world uses a smartphone, and now research by Strategy Analytics covered by Bloomberg shows that in reality, there are over 1 billion smartphones in use around the world. The total of 1.038 billion smartphones in use came at the end of the third quarter, meaning that one in every seven individuals on the planet has a smartphone in hand. Strategy Analytics believes that the next billion users will come from emerging markets, and that it will take less than three years to reach the 2 billion user mark. While Nokia introduced the first modern smartphone in 1996, sales accelerated after the introduction of the iPhone in 2007. Now Apple is seeing explosive growth in sales, as evidenced by the company selling more than 5 million iPhone 5s in the first weekend on the market. The total smartphone market was worth an estimated $219 billion last year, explaining why the market is so critical to the fortunes of market leader Samsung (with a number of smartphone models) and Apple's iPhone.
Strategy Analytics: Android lost US market share in Q2, isn't losing sleep just yet
Android is most definitely on the upward march when it comes to the world stage. But you might be surprised at how it's faring in the US: it's down, according to Strategy Analytics' estimates. As of the second quarter, Google's market share dropped from 60.6 percent a year earlier to 56.3 percent. No one would call it a moment of crisis for Android, but it implies that Apple was drawing in more of the customers jumping ship from other platforms -- the iPhone climbed to 33.2 percent while RIM and others lost ground. The real tests of where the market is going, we imagine, will come in the second half of the year. Apple will have to survive an American summer full of Galaxy S III variants, while Samsung and the rest of the Android camp may have to cope with a bigger than usual iPhone update as 2012 heads into the sunset.
Strategy Analytics: iPad keeps riding high in Q2 tablet market share, Android doesn't budge
The Apple iPad may as well be called the Teflon Tablet for now, since challengers can't quite stick. Thanks to those 17 million iPads shipped in the second quarter, Strategy Analytics estimates that Apple held on to the 68 percent of tablet market share that IDC credited to the company in the previous season. That may not sound like a change in the status quo, but it's a significant jump from the 62 percent Apple had a year ago -- and not very good news for anyone else. Android is still holding on at 29.3 percent, although that's slightly underwhelming given the surge of extra devices in that time frame. The real hurt was dished out to Windows 7 tablets and "others" like RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook, both of whom were cut down to just 1.2 points of share each in the spring. We'll see if the newer crowd moves the needle for Android in the summer, although the well-received Nexus 7's current scarcity won't help its chances -- and both Microsoft as well as RIM are in holding patterns for the next several months.
iPhone estimated to have generated $150 billion in revenue globally
Apple's iPhone launched five years ago this week and to say it has been successful is an understatement. Based on a Strategy Analytics report cited by AppleInsider, Apple has shipped 250 million iPhones cumulatively worldwide and has generated US$150 billion in revenue from these shipments. "The iPhone portfolio has become a huge generator of cash and profit for Apple," said Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics. He adds, "A quarter of a billion iPhones have been shipped cumulatively worldwide in the first five years since launch and Apple reaches its fifth birthday at the top of its game." Apple now is one of the top smartphone manufacturers and among the top three mobile phone makers worldwide. Last quarter alone, the company shipped 35 million iPhones and this number may increase as Apple expands its business in Asia and other emerging markets.
Nokia is the largest Windows Phone maker in the world, after one quarter
While we can't really say that we're surprised, Nokia has snagged the top spot for Windows Phone devices. Strategy Analytics reports that the Finnish smartphone maker now sits atop the global charts for the Microsoft mobile OS after being in the game for just one quarter. Nokia overtook HTC and Samsung to claim a 33% market share with 0.9 million out of the 2.7 million units shipped in Q4. Aided by the Lumia family's expansion to several new territories and the 36% growth of the platform overall for the quarter, the company has taken "an encouraging baby step forward." If you're itching for more details, hit up the source link below.
Strategy Analytics: Nokia tops global handset shipments, Apple sees quarterly surge
Fresh off the publication of its latest tablet report, Strategy Analytics has come out with a new batch of statistics on the global mobile market. In a report published yesterday, the research firm crowned Apple as the world's largest smartphone vendor by volume, on the strength of the 37 million iPhones it shipped during Q4 2011 -- good for 23.9 percent of the market. Samsung wasn't too far behind, though, with 36.5 million smartphones shipped during the quarter, comprising 23.5 percent of the market. Nokia finished in third place, with 19.6 million smartphones and a 12.6 percent market share, though it fared notably better among handset makers on a global (i.e., smartphone and feature phone) level. According to Strategy Analytics, the Finnish manufacturer shipped 417.1 million handsets for the full year, 113.5 million of which were shipped during the fourth quarter of last year. For the year, Nokia accounted for 26.9 percent of the market, followed by Samsung, which shipped 327.4 million units shipped during 2011 and finished with a 23.1 percent market share. As for Apple, it accounted for 8.3 percent of the market in Q4 (its best showing, according to Strategy's metrics), with 37 million quarterly shipments. You can find more details in the pair of press releases after the break, or at the source link below.
Strategy Analytics: Apple still owns tablet market, but Android narrows the gap
Strategy Analytics has come out with another report on the state of today's tablet market, which, not surprisingly, remains dominated by Apple. Cupertino's iOS comprised about 58 percent of the global slate market during Q4 2011 -- well ahead of Android's record high 39 percent share, but down from the 68 percent it commanded during the final quarter of 2010. Android, in fact, has seen quite a jump over the past year, with total shipments reaching 10.5 million units during the last quarter, up from just 3.1 million last year (Apple, by comparison, shipped 15.4 million iPads during Q4, versus the 7.3 million it shipped last year). On a global level, the tablet market continues to blossom, with total shipments reaching an all-time high of 26.8 million units last quarter, representing a whopping 150 percent increase over last year. Read the full report at the source link below, or head past the break for a more succinct press release.
Report suggests Apple slipping in handset rankings
Last quarter was a transition quarter for Apple and its iPhone. Sales of the 18-month-old iPhone 4 fell slightly as the company prepared to introduce the iPhone 4S. This slowdown caused Apple to slip to fifth place in the global handset market and to the number two slot in the global smartphone market, according to Strategy Analytics. Strategy Analytics's report examines global handset shipments and reveals that Apple now trails Nokia, Samsung, LG and ZTE. Chinese manufacturer ZTE shipped 18.5 million handsets last quarter and beat out Apple which shipped 17.1 million. Nokia held onto its first place position by shipping 106.6 million handsets, most of which are feature phones. In the smartphone market, Samsung climbed past Apple with 27.8 million in quarterly smartphone shipments. In the June 2011 quarter, Apple had slid past Samsung to claim first position, but it's time at the top was short-lived due to several market factors. Neil Mawston, Director at Strategy Analytics says, "We believe Apple's growth during the third quarter was affected by consumers and operators awaiting the launch of the new iPhone 4S in the fourth quarter, volatile economic conditions in several key countries, and tougher competition from Samsung's popular Galaxy S2 model." Apple may be down this last quarter, but next quarter should be significantly better. During its quarterly earnings conference call, Apple CEO Tim Cook assured analysts that the holiday quarter should see iPhone sales return to record-breaking levels. Early sales of the iPhone 4S have been brisk and these numbers are expected to climb now that Apple is rolling out the handset to additional countries. [Via AppleInsider]
Nokia still ahead of Apple in smartphone sales, according to Gartner
Whoa there, Apple, we know you're starting to feel pretty darn good about besting Nokia and Samsung for the title of world's largest smartphone manufacturer, but hold on for just one minute. Gartner has a different idea of how the numbers game really works, and its interpretation makes all the difference in determining who earns the title. Rather than measuring the number of units each manufacturer ships out to the distributors (as IDC, ABI Research and Strategy Analytics do), Gartner gauges its numbers by how many devices were actually sold to end users instead. Thus, Nokia still keeps its title -- for one more quarter, anyways. The firm is confident Espoo won't be the top smartphone contender for much longer, thanks to the company's grim Q3 outlook as it continues to await the transition to Windows Phone. But hey, there's always Q4, right? Right? Check out the full press release after the break.
