iPhone Ownership Increases to 42% of Smartphone Users in the US

Both Samsung and Apple saw growth in Q4 2013 when comparing to Q4 2012 data, research firm NDP announced today. Apple outpaced Samsung, increasing its share of U.S. Smartphone users from 35% in Q4 2012 to 42% in Q4 2013. Samsung only saw a 4% increase from 22% to 26%.

Other manufacturers such as Motorola, LG, HTC, and Blackberry all saw their shares drop.

As more US consumers migrate to smartphones, they are increasingly opting for iPhones and Samsung Android phones. According to the Connected Intelligence Connected Home Report from The NPD Group, over the past year, smartphone penetration increased from 52 percent in Q4 2012 to six-in-ten cell phone users in Q4 2013.

Apple and Samsung were the winners as more consumers migrated to their flagship devices. iPhone ownership increased from 35 percent in Q4 2012 to 42 percent in Q4 2013. Likewise, Samsung Android phones increased from 22 percent of smartphones owned in Q4 2012 to 26 percent in Q4 2013. In contrast, fewer smartphone owners reported having an HTC, Motorola, or Blackberry device in Q4 2013.

Data usage has also increased, as users went from 5.5GB per month in Q4 2012 to 6.6GB per month in Q4 2013. Top music streaming apps included Pandora, iHeart Radio, Spotify, TuneIn Radio and finally, Slacker Radio .

As smartphone penetration increased over the past year, so has consumers’ data usage, which went from 5.5 GB per month in Q4 2012 to 6.6 GB per month in Q4 2013. While this increase in data usage came from a variety of activities, a key driver has been the adoption of streaming music services such as Pandora and iHeart Radio.

Apple's introduction of two new smartphones, the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, as well as expanding to other carriers such as T-Mobile most likely helped contribute to the increase in smartphone users.


The data presented is a representation of users rather than sales from a 'rolling panel' that provides the equivalent base of 4,500 smartphone users.

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