Apple captured a record 33 percent market share
in South Korea in November, the highest ever for a foreign
brand, according to a monthly report released by Hong Kong-based
market research company Counterpoint on Wednesday. In contrast,
Samsung's share slipped to 46 percent after hovering around 60
percent for five months.
Apple's gains in South Korea are telling, as November was the
first full month that the larger-screen iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were
sold in the country. The sales likely came at the expense of
Samsung's flagship Galaxy Note 4 phablet launched in late
September.
"iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have made a difference here, denting the
competition's phablet sales," Counterpoint analyst Tom Kang
said. "If there was a better supply of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus 64 GB
and 128 GB models, then Apple's share could have climbed to the
40 percent level."
Analysts in South Korea generally expect Samsung to have lost
further share of the global market in October-December for the
fourth consecutive quarter as Apple extended its lead in the
premium segment and upstarts like China's Xiaomi Inc made huge
inroads into the low-end market.
GRAPHIC: Smartphone sales: http://link.reuters.com/myj83w
(Editing by Ryan Woo)
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