According to the latest data collected by Kantar's Worldpanel, Apple's iOS has dropped to its lowest smartphone market share in China since July 2014. In today's report, the smartphone shares around the world are detailed for the three months ending February 2017. Let's dive in to see some more details on the statistics.

iOS Smartphone Market Share Dropped To Its Lowest In Three Years

Compared to the same time last year, devices running the company's iOS has dropped 8.9 percent, a decrease from 22.1 percent of the market in China. After the drop, Apple's iOS rests on 13.2 percent, while Android tops the chart with 86.4 percent of the total smartphone market share in the region, Android's year-over-year score grew by 9.3 percent.

While the aforementioned stats are said and done, Apple's iPhone 7 and its bigger 'Plus' variant still remains the top selling devices in China. With that said, the Cupertino giant does face a hard time competing against China's local vendors like Vivo and Oppo. This is due to the fact that local vendors manufacture cheaper alternatives which are easier for users in China to get their hands on.

"In the three-month period ending February 2017, iOS accounted for 13.2% of smartphone sales in urban China, a decline of 8.9 percentage points from 22.1% a year earlier. This marks iOS’ lowest share since the three-month period ending July 2014," reported Tamsin Timpson, Strategic Insight Director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Asia. "That said, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus remained the top selling devices in the region, accounting for 8% of smartphone sales. By comparison, iPhone 6s and 6s Plus accounted for 14% of smartphone sales in the three months ending February 2016."

Compared to the Chinese smartphone market share, iOS continues to grow in the United States while Android's market share continues to move in downward trajectory. iOS increased by 3.7 percent to 42 percent while Android decreased by -3 percent to 55.9 percent. Apart from the United States, iOS also saw an increase in the rate of its adoption in France, Germany and the Great Britain by 4 percent, 4.1 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively.

The next quarter might be the most crucial point for both iOS and Android. This is due to the reason that Samsung's Galaxy S8 and the LG G6 will mold the results in favor of Android. However, the iPhone 7 (PRODUCT)RED might help the company retain its market share to some extent.

This is it for now, folks. What are your thoughts on iOS dropping smartphone market share in China? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Source