Some 71.6% of US mobile subscribers owned a smartphone during the 3 months ending in June (Q2), up from 68.8% in Q1 and 59% in Q2 2013, finds comScore in its latest report on the US smartphone market. With Apple’s market share edging up 0.7% points from Q1 to Q2 (42.1%), the data suggests that 3 in 10 mobile subscribers in the US owned an iPhone in Q2. That would equate to around 73 million Americans owning an iPhone; for comparative purposes, the latest Census Bureau data indicates that there are about 74 million 18-34-year-olds in the US.
Of course, Apple isn’t the largest smartphone platform in the US, but its market share is gradually growing (even if more slowly than it was). Its 42.1% share this past quarter is up from 39.9% last year and 32.4% the year before. By comparison, Android’s 51.9% share of smartphone subscribers in Q2 is flat from 52% last year and 51.6% the year before.
Meanwhile, Samsung continues to post gains when it comes to the breakdown of top OEMs. Its 28.6% share in Q2 was up from 27% a quarter earlier and 23.7% a year earlier.
Turning to the top smartphone apps (measured by adoption among US smartphone mobile media users on iOS and Android platforms aged 18 and older), Facebook continues to be far and away the most widely adopted, with 73.6% reach among the app audience. In fact, recent Flurry data indicates that more time is spent with the Facebook app than with the entire mobile web.
Beyond Facebook, YouTube (52.1%), Google Play (52.1%), Google Search (47.9%) and Pandora Radio (45.6%) rounded out the top 5 apps by adoption in June. Instagram held onto the #8 spot with 30.4% reach, while Twitter (21.7%) ranked #14, slightly ahead of Google+ (20.3%).
