TORONTO – RIM’s losses are Android’s gains in the Canadian smartphone market where its total market share has risen 10% since January 2011. The finding is one of several important shifts in brand dominance across the country and across categories according to the August 2012 Ipsos Reid’s Mobil-ology study of smartphone, tablet and eReader users in Canada.
Smartphone penetration now sits at 40% (up from 23%in January 2011) and tablet use has risen to 15% (up from 3% – amounting to a 400% rate of growth since January 2011).
“In terms of smartphones, the big story in this wave of Mobil-ology is the success of devices using an Android operating system,” says Mary Beth Barbour, Senior Vice President with Ipsos Reid. “While Apple’s iPhone continues to make steady gains, smartphones using the Android OS have been living up to the buzz making the most ground in the wake of RIM’s losses.”
BlackBerry with a 27% market share is the number two smartphone manufacturing brand in Canada just behind Apple at 29%. But overall, Android OS phones edge out both when these devices are totalled together. Brands using the Android OS have a 36% market share, up 10% points since January 2011. Ipsos says the jump in growth is due to the growing popularity in Canada of Samsung’s Android-powered smartphones, which have doubled to 18% share since the Mobil-ology report in January 2011. Apple has also benefited, now achieving a higher penetration rate in Canada than BlackBerry, however, their growth is less pointed, having risen just 6% points since January 2011.
Android is also making ground on the tablet front. While Apple’s iPad remains the dominant brand, Samsung’s Android-powered tablets are making significant gains. Though relatively modest at 9%, Samsung has doubled its share of the Tablet market since January 2011. Other noteworthy contenders in the tablet market that predominantly offer models that use the Android OS, are Acer (6%) and Asus (4%). While individual market shares of these brands are relatively small, combined, they evidence the growing strength of Android products in the Canadian market says Ipsos.
“We anticipate Apple may continue to lose ground in the tablet market, but the big question is how much and to whom,” adds Barbour. “Apple’s closest competitor is BlackBerry’s Playbook, with 19% of the market; however, much of this may be attributed to heavy discounting in late 2011 and early 2012 after a lacklustre entrance into the market. So far, Android appears to be the strongest contender with Samsung performing the strongest, and we have yet to see the impact of the recently released Google Nexus. Also, we should not discount Microsoft’s Surface rumoured to be introduced later this year. Which of these devices, if any so far, will have the appeal to give Apple a run for its money? We look forward to the next wave in January 2013 to find out.”
While Apple is proving itself as a smartphone and tablet leader in Canada the marketplace is far more competitive explains Barber.
“For Apple to have taken such a lead is evidence of their popularity as a brand and the success of their marketing. But as shown by BlackBerry’s unfortunate struggles, to maintain this position, they will have to keep improving and fighting off the challengers. No doubt, it will be an interesting fall as we move into the holiday gift giving season.”
