Android OS Share In China Gets Boost from New Year's Sales, iPhone Share Drops

Android devices increased its market share in urban China to 76.4 percent from 73 percent, according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

Lauren Guenveur, Kantar's mobile analyst, noted that Android devices in China benefited from the buys promotional season which coincided with the Chinese New Year. The analyst added local brands that operate on Android's operating system, such as Meizu and Oppo, each captured around 6 percent of smartphone sales.

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Guenveur continued that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)'s iOS operating system failed to grow in urban China for the first time since August 2014. In fact, Apple's market share declined 3.2 percentage points between February 2015 and February 2016.

Apple's market share fell to 22.2 percent as Huawei captured the top spot on the smartphone brand leader board with a 24.4 percent market share.

"With the iPhone SE going on sale last week, we will be closely tracking initial acceptance and uptake of this $399 addition to the iOS offering," Guenveur also stated. "There are also significant numbers of potential buyers, particularly in China, who may not be able to afford the high price of a flagship iPhone but may find that the iPhone SE lets them take their first step into the Apple ecosystem."