Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 3:54 pm

The iPhone’s comeback and the power of carrier distribution

iPhone comeback chartSurvey data from Nielsen suggests that Apple’s iPhone almost closed the gap with Google Android in December, as far as new smartphone purchases go. Assuming it’s accurate, this says as much about the value of carrier distribution as it says about anything else.

Yes, it’s important that the new iPhone 4S launched, giving people closure that their new phone purchase wouldn’t be obsolete in a couple of months. (Although that never seems to stop Android buyers.) Plus cheaper versions of the iPhone 4 and 3GS surely helped.

But I’d say the most important thing is that this is the first time that a brand new iPhone was available at the top three carriers at once — Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and Sprint. The vast majority of new phones in the U.S. are still sold through carriers, so it’s important to be distributed through as many of the major operators as possible. Perhaps Apple could have beaten Android in December had the iPhone 4S been available at T-Mobile.

Justing by their advertising, Verizon and AT&T are still more interested in pushing their new 4G/LTE networks and devices than anything else. So I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple’s share dips again ahead of this year’s new iPhone launch (which should support LTE, if Apple is happy with size/performance). And then there is the great unknown of Windows Phone 7. (So far, sales are not impressive at all.)

But the iPhone’s comeback sure seems to suggest that Android’s “dominance” has been driven more by carriers than by the product.

Also: Actually, iPhone users tend to be richer and better educated than Android users

  • Follow @SplatF on Twitter or RSS for the latest.

New! Comments are welcome but moderated. Please read the Commenting Guide first.

  • Anonymous

    Nielsen’s data agrees with NPD who recently reported that Android sales had plunged from 60% down to 48% while iPhone sales surged from 28% to 43% over the October-November period.

    Add in all members of the iOS platform (11-19 million iiPads and 7-10 million iPod touches) to the 36 million iphones sold in Q4 and iOS has clearly taken back the sales lead from Android.

  • Anonymous

    You sure it is not the product.

    Do you sincerely think people will buy crap if there is more carrier distribution.

    • http://www.fromedome.com/ Dan Frommer

      The product is a big part, as I mention. But yes, I sincerely think people will buy crap if there is more carrier distribution, marketing, and sales push. 

      Look at the rest of the phone market. Apple is still only a small minority. Look at the success Verizon had with the BlackBerry Storm before it had the Droid and the iPhone. (It doesn’t work for everything — subsidized netbooks seemed like a dud at carrier stores, and I think tablets are too. But for phones, it does.)