Apple edges past Android in US for the first time since 2012: Study

For the first time since 2012, iOS has emerged as the most popular smartphone and tablet operating system in the US and was gaining in Europe and China, AFP reported.

However, as per the latest figures from Kantar Wordpanel ComTech, which cover the final quarter of 2014, the lead was slim.

Despite the iPhone 6's popularity throughout the US holiday season and record breaking sales globally, including the US, Apple's lead over Android was just 0.1 per cent.

In the US, iOS powered iPhones accounted for 47.7 per cent of smartphones sold in the US, while the share of Android was 47.6 per cent, Windows Phone, 3.8 pe rcent, and BlackBerry 0.3 per cent.

Across the five major European markets Android's share fell by 3.8 percentage points and iOS climbed 6.2 percentage points year-on-year with iPhone getting its biggest push in the UK.

According to Carolina Milanesi, chief of research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, while the success of the iPhone 6 and 6Plus was unprecedented, this quarter's performance also pointed to Apple having its strongest portfolio ever.

She added, with a range of devices available at different price points in both contract and pre-pay Apple was able to take advantage of a weaker Android offering at the premium end of the market.

According to Dominic Sunnebo, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Europe, Italy was the only European market where Android grew.

He added, considering the strong pre-pay market and the wider direct channel it was not a surprise that Android products - with their value for money proposition - continued to appeal to Italian consumers.

According to last year data from Kantar, Android smartphone platform had extended its lead over Apple's iPhone in key markets including the US, Europe and China.

In China, Kantar data suggested that Apple's iOS saw an increase in its market share "at the expense of Android."

Tamsin Timpson, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Asia explained that despite Apple's rise in smartphone market share; Xiaomi was the best-selling brand.

According to Kantar, the Windows Phone OS struggled in the last quarter recording marginal growth only in countries such as France and Germany.