Apple iPhones is taking market share back from Android, accounting for 53.3% of U.S. smartphone sales for the 12-week period ending November 25, according to the market research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
This is the first time Apple's share of the U.S. market has topped 50%, Kantar said.
During the same period, Android's share of the market fell to 41.9% of the market, while Microsoft Windows Phone held 2.7% share. Research In Motion had just 1.4% of the market in the period.
The research firm notes that AT&T accounted for 35.4% of smartphones sold in the U.S. in the period, ahead of Verizon Wireless at 31.9% and Sprint at 14.5%.
“The iPhone 5 has been successful this period however we also see that Apple’s older models – the iPhone 4S and 4 have also contributed to the growing share of iOS,” Kantar Worldpanel ComTech analyst Mary-Ann Parlato said in a statement. “This is particularly the case for first-time smartphone iPhone buyers where we see the older models still selling well amongst this group.”
Among iPhone buyers in November, 27% upgraded from another smartphone OS, 34% upgraded from a previous iPhone and 40% upgraded to their first smartphone.
