iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus Sales Outpacing Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ in the US: Kantar

Highlights:

iPhone 7, iPhone 7 top selling phones in the US as per new data

Android marketshare in the US fell by 5.9 percent

iOS accounted for 36.5 percent of smartphone sales in the US

Consumer Reports recently ranked the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ as top two smartphones, praising them for their "stunning camera, long battery life, and gorgeous display". But it seems that despite receiving all rave reviews across the industry have seemingly failed to surpass iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus when it comes to sales number, at least in the US.

"Early indications in our data for the three-month period ending in May 2017 show that the S8 and S8 Plus will reach a combined share of 8.1 percent in the US, slightly behind their predecessors the S7/S7 Edge at 8.8 percent. iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus remain the top sellers during the May period with combined share of 20.1 percent," Lauren Guenveur, Global Consumer Insight Director for Kantar Worldpanel reported. It's worth pointing out that the Samsung phones went on sale in the US only in the middle of April, so the data could still change in a couple of months time.

In final data compiled for three-month period ending April, Samsung's newest flagships and the LG G6 failed to make the list of top 10 best-selling phones in the US.

The report added iOS accounted for 36.5 percent of smartphone sales in the US for the same period, an increase of 5.8 percent over the same period last year. Android marketshare in the country fell by a similar amount - 5.9 percent, and it now stands at 61.7 percent, compared to 67.6 percent a year ago.

"Android partner brands Samsung, LG, and Moto experienced year-on-year declines in the US," Guenveur said.

The latest data, however, bring good news for Android in China. The data found that Android smartphones accounted for had 83.4 percent sales in China which was up 4.3 percent from 79.1 percent reported a year back. The data suggested drop in iOS share in urban China to 16.2 percent, a fall of 3.8 percent compared to a year earlier, but it was up by the same amount compared to last year.

"Importantly, Apple posted a strong period-on-period gain in urban China, rising to a 16.2 percent share from 12.4 percent in the first quarter of 2017, which was their lowest since early 2016," said Tamsin Timpson, Strategic Insight Director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Asia.

"iPhone 7 and 7 Plus sales recovered slightly, now representing 8.5 percent of smartphones sold in the region, outpacing both Huawei and Oppo models," Timpson added.

"In EU5, Android accounted for 78.3 percent of smartphone sales in the three months ending April 2017, increasing 2.2 percentage points from a year earlier. iOS posted a 1.1 percentage point gain to reach 19.3 percent of smartphone sales in the region," the reported added.

After the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, Samsung had a lot riding on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8+ this year. And if the latest Consumer Reports’ findings are to be taken into account, the two smartphones have performed exceptionally well, raking in the top two spots. Consumer Reports ranks the Samsung Galaxy S8+ as the top smartphone, followed by the Galaxy S8 in the second place.

Consumer Reports lauds the Samsung Galaxy S8+ for its narrow design and great battery life. The publication adds that while the LG G6 and the iPhone 7 Plus packed dual rear cameras, the Samsung cameras were top-notch and didn’t suffer due to the lack of a dual camera setup. The LG G6 stood in the fourth spot in the Consumer Reports rankings, while the iPhone 7 Plus took the fifth spot, Samsung’s own Galaxy S7 Edge was third.

The report also lauded Samsung’s bezel-less display design and the ability to survive under water. However, one thing that the folks at Consumer Reports were not so happy about, was its one-hand operation, and recommends its readers to try out the phones in the store before purchasing them. “Even on the smaller model, it will be hard for most users to reach the upper regions of the screen with their thumb,” lead phone tester Richard Fisco says in the report.

The cameras on the Samsung Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy S8 also received heavy praise. The report lauds its low-light imaging and video recording capabilities, and also says that the lack of dual cameras at the back is not something that is missed badly. “Finally, a few top-end cameras, including the iPhone 7 Plus and the LG G6, have dual rear-facing cameras, to enhance either zoom or wide-angle photography. The Samsung phones haven't gone that route yet—and we don't think they suffer for it,” the report states.

This positive response will be welcome by Samsung, coming in as sort of redemption for last year’s Note 7 recall. The iPhone 7 Plus sits on the fifth spot, but that’s because it’s a phone that was launched almost nine months ago, and three of the smartphones ahead of it were launched rather recently. It will be interesting to see if the ranking changes once the much-rumoured iPhone 8 is released in a few months’ time.