Apple’s iOS platform remains the most dominant smartphone and tablet operating system in Europe, despite predictions Google’s Android will become the big-hitter in the space.
A comScore study in five major European markets revealed that iOS is used by 28.9 million users, 116% higher than the 13.4 million users with a Google Android device. The bulk of Apple users – 16.1 million – use an iPhone, however the total figure also includes iPod and iPad users.
Apple’s standing is boosted by the iPad, which has attracted buyers who already own a rival smartphone. iPhone owners in the five countries – Germany, France, Spain, UK and Italy - account for 27.2% of iPad owners, with Nokia smartphone holders the next highest iPad buyers on 26.4%, and 5.9% of Android phone users.
Jeremy Copp, comScore’s European mobile vice president, notes the figures make good reading for RIM, with BlackBerry smartphone users the only subscribers not to buy into the iPad dream. RIM’s customers “are significantly underrepresented among iPad owners, which is perhaps a signal of brand loyalty as they awaited the launch of the BlackBerry Playbook,” the Canadian vendor’s tablet, he notes.