Google Android gains ground on Apple iPhone in Australia, Windows Phone beating iOS in key European markets

Google’s Android operating system has extended its lead in the Australian smartphone market over Apple’s iOS, according to figures released by Kantar WorldPanel overnight.

The figures show Android has now reached 68% market share in Australia in June , up from 64.8% year-on-year. Meanwhile, Apple iOS has fallen to 25.5% from 27.4% a year earlier, while Microsoft Windows Phone (5.2% to 5.3%) and BlackBerry (0.3% to 0.5%) both gained ground.

In the quarter to June, Android was the dominant platform in most major markets, including China (84.3% market share), the UK (60.6%), Italy (75.9%), Spain (84.3%), Germany (8.1%), France (71.4%), the USA (62%) and Brazil (89%).

The figures show Windows Phone now leads Apple iOS in a number of countries, including Germany (6.4% to 1.6%), Brazil (4.5% to 3.9%) and Spain (7.5% to 6.8%). Windows Phone also narrowly trails iOS in Italy, by a margin of 12.3% to 10.1%.

The saving grace for Apple globally is English speaking markets. Unlike Europe and Latin America, where it trails Windows Phone in a growing number of key markets, iOS has 31.5% market share in the US and 28.5% in the UK.

China is another market where iOS remains significantly stronger than Windows Phone. Apple currently holds 12.8% of the market, compared to just 0.9% for Microsoft.