Apple challenging Samsung on its home turf
The Apple of your eye: Outlook good for Apple earnings report (Part 3 of 12)
Apple is now a major foreign player in the South Korean smartphone market
Previously in this series, we learned that Apple (AAPL) has overtaken Samsung (SSNLF) in the Chinese smartphone market. Apple is also presenting some stiff competition for Samsung on its home turf, South Korea.
According to a report from Counterpoint, Apple’s share in the South Korean smartphone market increased to 33% in November 2014 from 15% before the launch of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The report also notes that this is the first time a foreign brand has earned more than a 20% market share in the history of the South Korean smartphone market.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s share declined from 60% to 46% during this period. Samsung is facing more competition in both the high-end and low-end smartphone markets. At the high end, it has to with contend Apple. At the low end, Google’s (GOOG)(GOOGL) Android-based smartphones continue to eat away at Samsung’s market share. As the chart above shows, Apple has overtaken another South Korean brand too, LG Electronics.
Apple owns more than half the Japanese smartphone market
Apple is also taking rapid strides in the Japanese smartphone market. The same Counterpoint report says that Apple captured more than half the Japanese smartphone market in October and November. Sony (SNE) was a distant second-ranked player with 17% market share in November.
Japanese consumers have been eagerly awaiting a bigger iPhone for a while now. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have delivered the goods.
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