Q1 2013 iPhone shipments declined 10% YoY in Europe as Windows Phone grows 73%

end-user sales numbe

	Q1 2012	Q1 2013	Growth
Android	15.5	21	35%
iOS	7	6.3	-10%
WP	1.1	1.9	73%
Other	4.6	2.4	-48%
Total	28.2	31.6	12%

There must be a reason Apple’s share price has dipped below $400 these last few days, and it may be related to their sales actually dropping year on year in one of the richest markets in the world.

According to the IDC Apple’s shipments dropped from 7 million in Q1 2012 to only 6.3 million in Q1 2013.  With no new iPhone in sight for Q2 or possibly Q3 the situation can only deteriorate further, unless Apple drastically cut their prices.

Windows Phone vendors like Nokia will be smiling however, as Q1 2013 saw more than 70% YoY growth to 1.9 million units  This vastly exceeded the growth of the market itself, which was only 12% YoY.

Android remains king in Europe, with 21 million phones shipped and 35% YoY growth, but despite the discrepancy in numbers between Windows Phone and Android it is clear Windows Phone is the only OS which can challenge the behemoth growth-wise.

Interestingly the IDC’s numbers tally very well with Kantar’s end-user sales numbers, which showed Windows Phone had 6.5% of the market in Q1 2013 in the EU5 countries.  Kantar also had iOS at 18% and Android at 68%, both again a pretty close match.

Given the economic crisis in Europe we expect iOS to drop further, and with the introduction of cheap Windows Phones like the 620 and 520, to see further Windows Phone growth, possibly topping the 10% mark for around 3 million Windows Phones sales in Europe in Q2 2013. We also expect Apple’s share price to drop even further…

See the full IDC press release after the break.

June 25th 2013. The Western European mobile phone market shrank in the first quarter of 2013 due to a lower than expected slowdown in the smartphone shipments, according to International Data Corporation (IDC). Total shipments dropped 4.2 per cent year on year to 43.6 million units, according to IDC’s European Mobile Phone Tracker, published in May 2013.

The feature phones segment continued to lose ground as consumers adopt smartphones. Shipments fell 31 per cent year on year to 12 million units.

The smartphone segment also lost some steam in the first quarter. Shipments increased 12 per cent year on year to 31.6 million units in the quarter, which was the lowest growth rate since IDC started tracking the mobile phone market in 2004.

Most Western European countries experienced a slowdown in smartphone sales as economies deteriorated, with a consequent decline in disposable income for consumers.

Mobile operators are also cutting handset subsidies to reduce their costs as revenues decline.

This is particularly impacting the Southern European economies, where consumers refrain from replacing their mobile phones for longer periods.

In Northern Europe, smartphone penetration is reaching a tipping point, which has started to impact the smartphone growth, as most users already have a smartphone and will not replace it until the contract ends or the device breaks.

In Western Europe, phone makers are facing the most challenging time ever. The economic environment is impacting demand, while users are buying cheaper handsets, which impacts manufacturers margins.

“We are now entering the second wave of smartphone adoption in the region. The first wave was driven by those users looking for devices that would meet their mobility needs.”

“They did look for the best devices in terms of performance and user experience, and more importantly, they were able to afford and pay a premium to get a premium experience.”

“We are now entering the second wave of smartphone adoption, which will be driven by those users with no need for a smartphone,” said Francisco Jeronimo, European mobile devices research director at IDC.

“These new users are looking to replace their current feature phones with another feature phone, as smartphones are fancy gadgets that they don’t feel the need to have.”

“However, when they go to a phone shop most of the options available are smartphones only – their friends, colleagues and family may have smartphones and are always talking about the latest apps, and the cheapest smartphones they note are most likely to be as low in price as the last feature phone they bought. With a small push from sales people, the sale is almost guaranteed.”

“But they will buy one of the cheapest smartphones as they still see no value for money.”

In terms of operating system, Android continues to dominate the smartphone landscape.

In the quarter, Google’s OS shipped 21.9 million units and market share increased to 69 per cent in 1Q13 from 55 per cent in last years’ first quarter.

Apple’s iOS continues to lose ground as market share declined to 20% from 25% in 1Q12.

Windows Phone improved its position to become the third biggest OS in the region, but it still represents a tiny percentage of the smartphones shipped. Its market share rose to 6 per cent in Q1 2013 from 4 per cent in Q1 2012.

About IDC

IDC is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries worldwide. For more than 44 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world’s leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com.