Winners and losers on back-to-school phone sales

Link to original article.

Date: Sept. 25, 2012

Published on: BostonHerald.com

Vancouver-based iQmetrix is out with a survey of 7,000 wireless retailers in North America from July 23 through September 14 … and the results are not pretty for Windows 7 and Blackberry.

What is remarkable is the percentage of Apple phones purchased despite widespread knowledge of the upcoming iPhone 5 (the survey was done prior to the Sept. 21 launch) and the extent to which Android is holding its own despite the stiff competition from Cupertino.

Here are the high points (taken directly from an iQmetrix email briefing)

• It’s a close race, with Android and Apple’s iOS going head-to-head. Android captured a 59.1 percent share of consumer spending, while iPhone purchases were significant at 39.2 percent, prior to the release of the iPhone 5.
• BlackBerry sales took the biggest hit this year. 2012 figures reveal a 1.5 percent share of the market as compared 10.5 percent in 2011 and 27.6 percent in 2010, a 26.1 percent drop in two years.
• Windows Phone falls to the back of the pack at 0.2 percent in 2012 as compared to a 2011 market share of 1.7 percent and 0.1 percent in 2010, a stunning indication that consumers are looking to iOS and Android for their mobile device needs.