Windows Phones Outselling iPhone in China and Russia
I know all that matters is the US (yes, tongue in cheek) but two massive countries have a revealing trend. In both Russia and China Windows Phones are outselling the iPhone. China is a huge market. And Windows Phone is a newcomer there. When the iPhone is available there we hear about lines to get phones. We don’t hear that same noise with Windows Phones, but of course, China is pretty far away from the US shores and..well you know how that goes. Anyway, Emerce is stating that an MS COO has claimed that WP has a 7% market share compared to the iPhone’s 6% market share. As of Q4 2011 Apple had a 7.5% market share of China and falling so the 6% figure could be correct. I’m a bit skeptical that WP has already overtaken iOS in China but if that holds up it’s huge. These are two big markets and mindshare leads to market share and it perpetuates itself.
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Looking at those numbers understand that it only takes into account the iPhones sold through official channels in China, China Unicom and China Telecom. The vast majority of iPhones in China though are purchased through unofficial channels such as private import and smuggling. As an interesting result China Mobile the country’s (and the world’s) largest mobile operator has the biggest iPhone user base while they officially don’t even carry the handset. Their incompatible 3g network only allows their customers to use iPhone on their 2g network.
I work in China and I can’t even count my colleagues with an iPhone. Its by far the dominating smart phone, I see the same among my friends and on the street. I wouldn’t be afraid to add a zero to that 6 to get closer to the real iPhone share on the Chinese smartphone market.
I can add that I am the only Windows Phone user among my colleagues and friends in China. I did see a random guy use a Lumia 800 on the street yesterday though so I guess that almost makes 2 of us…
Thanks fort he comment and that makes sense. Interesting to see how easy it is to skew these figures but I guess WP needs some positive noise.