Despite the impending launch of the new iPhone 5, iPhone and iOS market share continued to grow over the summer, according to new data released Tuesday by research firm comScore. From May through July, Apple's share of the U.S. smartphone market grew by 2 percent, more than any other platform.
Chart by The Mac Observer from comScore data.
Apple's iOS mobile operating system grew 2.0 percent over the summer, rising from 31.4 percent of U.S. smartphones to 33.4 percent. Google's Android is still found on the majority of U.S. smartphones, with 52.2 percent market share through July, up 1.4 percent over that time.
All other platforms saw a decrease in market share, with beleaguered RIM falling 2.1 percent to 9.5 percent of the U.S. smartphone market, and Microsoft, who will be launching its next generation Windows Phone 8 platform in the coming weeks, falling 0.4 percent to 3.6 percent of the market.
Apple enjoyed a boost in overall mobile phone market share as well, rising 1.9 percent to 16.3 percent of all mobile phones sold in the U.S., including feature phones. All other manufacturers, with the exception of HTC, saw a decrease in market share during this time frame.
Apple's iPhone 5 has been greatly anticipated since early this year, when questions about the timing of its eventual release arose. Prior to the iPhone 4S, Apple, since 2008, updated its premiere product every summer. The 4S launch last October broke that tradition and, with Apple recently confirming the iPhone 5's planned September unveiling, it appears that the Cupertino company has restructured its launch schedule.
Now that the launch of the iPhone 5 is imminent, demand is starting to wane, although most expect demand to sharply increase again once the product launches at the end of September.
Other companies are also gearing up for fall product launches, with Windows Phone 8 rolling out in the coming weeks and companies like Samsung and HTC releasing new products for both Android and Windows Phone.