InMobi report reveals Apple smartphones lose ground to Samsung smartphones in New Zealand

May 2 2013, 2:02 pm | BY Ricki Green | No Comments

InMobi, the largest independent mobile advertising network, released its latest New Zealand Mobile Insights Report today, revealing that Apple’s manufacturer share has decreased in New Zealand for the first time.

Between January and March, Apple’s manufacturer share of impressions on the InMobi network dropped 2.4 per cent, attributed to a decrease in iPhone impressions. Accordingly, Samsung gained ground, experiencing a 4.4 per cent increase in manufacturer share.

This news follows reports late last year around Apple’s loss of market share to Samsung in other parts of the world, including Australia, where Apple fell 0.4 per cent and Samsung gained 2.5 per cent in Q3.

Thanks to Samsung’s growth, Android’s operator share also increased by 5.7 per cent, bringing it closer to iOS than ever before. Android is currently only 7.7 per cent behind iOS, halving the 15.9 per cent margin iOS had over Android in Q4 last year.

Although Apple has been losing ground in the smartphone market, the iPad is still holding its own when it comes to tablets. A growing appetite for using tablets in the home saw a 2 per cent increase for the iPad, moving it from third to second in the top 5 handsets.

Mobile app impressions are also up by 31 per cent to 63 per cent due to more apps being made available to Android users in the Google Play and Samsung Apps stores.

Says Francisco Cordero, vice president and general manager of InMobi Australia and New Zealand: “Android has come firing through this quarter, gaining on iOS following a great fourth quarter and Christmas sale period from Samsung which posted a record profit of $6.34 billion (AUD). With the launch of Facebook Home, the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the imminent launch of the HTC1 Facebook phone, we believe that Android will maintain its momentum and may even start to edge out iOS next quarter.”

Download the latest InMobi Mobile Insights Reports here. Follow on Twitter to keep up to date with InMobi insights at @InMobi_au.