Around the Net
Could Apple Lose Its Luster?
- Reuters, Thursday, December 22, 2011 12:30 PM
After a record run, could Apple’s popularity have finally plateaued? Stateside, there are no signs of such leveling, but European markets are telling a different story. “Weakening economies and falling prices of rival smartphones are hurting sales of Apple iPhones across Europe,” Reuters reports, citing new data from research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. “The October roll-out of Apple's iPhone 4S boosted its position in Britain and United States, but the new phones failed to excite interest in continental Europe, where Apple's share of the fast-growing smartphone market slipped.”
In the 12 weeks to end-November, Apple's year-over-year market share rose from 25% to 36% domestically, and in Britain from 21% to 31%, Kantar reports. In France, however, its share slipped from 29% to 20%, and in Germany from 27% to 22%. Similar drops were seen in Italy and Spain, Reuters notes.
"In Great Britain, the U.S. and Australia, Apple's new iPhone continues to fly off the shelf in the run-up to Christmas. However, this trend is far from universal," said Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at Kantar. In particular, "The French market is showing increasing signs of price sensitivity.”
