Parks Associates: Apple, Samsung widen lead over LG and Motorola

Parks Associates announced new research today in smartphone ownership showing that Apple and Samsung have widened their brand share lead over LG and Motorola among the installed base of smartphones in the U.S. The international firm shows that LG has fallen to just 9% of consumer-reported brand share, behind Apple (47%) and Samsung (29%).

“Samsung’s market share has held at approximately 30% of the installed smartphone base since 2015, indicating that the issues related to its Galaxy Note line last year did little to impact its market position overall,” says Kristen Hanich, Research Analyst, Parks Associates. “The new Galaxy S8 and Note 8 have sold better than their predecessors, signifying a strong consumer interest in Samsung’s premium smartphone brands. Nevertheless, Apple still has a sizeable lead in market share and maintains a tight replacement cycle.”

Parks Associates notes that Apple’s dominance is likely to continue in the coming years. According to the firm, 75% of iPhone users may upgrade over the next couple of years.

“Most Apple fans are waiting for the iPhone X,” Hanich says. “The iPhone 8 offers an attractive mix of features but doesn’t differentiate itself enough from the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 7, whereas the X has a very distinctive look. The X’s powerful on-device artificial intelligence and facial recognition abilities are also of great interest to consumers who want to buy the best available device. However, Apple’s limited production of the X may have a negative impact on upgrade rates over the next few months.”