Apple has a slight lead over Android in the U.S. smartphone market, according to research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
Reuters is reporting that according to Kantar, Apple nabbed a 44.9 percent share in the fourth quarter (October-December) of 2011, doubling its stake from the same period in 2010. As Apple gained, Android lost some ground. But Android isn't far behind, with a 44.8 percent share, down from 50 percent.
Apple on Tuesday said in its earnings call that it sold a record-breaking 37.04 million iPhones last quarter, 128 percent more than it sold a year ago. That astounding number of phones was heavily boosted by the iPhone 4S, which Apple execs said was the most popular iPhone during the quarter.
Kantar's global consumer insight director Dominic Sunnebo told Reuters that Apple's fantastic quarter is not just due to success in the United States.
"Apple has continued its strong sales run in the U.S., U.K., and Australia over the Christmas period," he said. "Overall, Apple sales are now growing at a faster rate than Android across nine countries we cover."
NPD and Nielsen released reports this month that indicated Apple is eating away at Android's lead. NPD found that the iPhone 4S helped boost Apple to snag 43 percent of all smartphone sales in October and November, compared to 26 percent in the third quarter. Android held onto its lead, but in October and November, its 60 percent stake slipped to 47 percent.
Nielsen reported last week that Android remains the most popular platform with a 46 percent share in the fourth quarter, while Apple took 30 percent. However, demand for the iPhone was booming in the last quarter. In December, the iPhone accounted for 46.9 percent of devices purchased by first-time smartphone owners, up from 25.1 percent before the launch of the iPhone 4S. Android, on the other hand, took 46.9 percent of new smartphone sales in December, down from its 61.6 percent lead in October.
Though those firms showed that Apple was closing in on Android, Kantar's report is the first to put Apple in the lead.