Used exclusively in Apple products such as iPhone and iPad, Apple's iOS is one of the two major cell phone operating systems in the world (the other being Google's Android, which is widely utilized by non-Apple phone manufacturers including Google, Samsung, LG, Motorola, and more). Although additional operating systems exist, such as Amazon Fire OS and the now-defunct Windows Phone, iOS and Android collectively hold more than 99% of the global cell phone OS market share as of January 2023.
Which country has the largest iPhone market share?
As of January 2023, the percentage of mobile users who use iOS-based mobile devices is higher in North Korea than in any other country in the world. As recently as 2020, iOS devices held between 17 and 31% of the market (estimates differ), but Apple's phones have become more prevalent since that time. This trend is somewhat surprising, as iPhones are not legally available in North Korea. However, iPhones are considered much more secure than the phones which are legally available in the country, which consumers believe are often monitored by the totalitarian government of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. In light of this concern, a robust underground market for iPhones has emerged.
Top 20 Countries and Territories with the Highest iPhone Market Share (2022 full year):
| Country | iOS Market Share | Territory | iOS Market Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Korea | 99.49% | Tokelau (New Zealand territory) | 95.44% | |
| Monaco | 69.42% | Bermuda (UK territory) | 92.32% | |
| Japan | 65.88% | Faroe Islands (Danish territory) | 92.23% | |
| Liectenstein | 64.93% | American Samoa (US territory) | 85.85% | |
| Denmark | 64.04% | Niue (New Zelaand territory) | 79.86% | |
| Andorra | 62.84% | Saint Pierre and Miquelon (French territory) | 70.60% | |
| Norway | 61.94% | Jersey (UK crown dependency) | 67.65% | |
| Canada | 57.84% | Guernsey (UK crown dependency) | 67.51% | |
| Australia | 57.47% | Wallis and Futuna (French territory) | 66.68% | |
| United States | 56.74% | Macau (China SAR) | 62.11% |
What other countries use a lot of iPhones?
The next highest percentages of iPhone/iOS users occur in a number of small dependent territories and one microstate (Monaco), with market shares ranging from 95.44% in the New Zealand territory Tokelau to 66.68% in the French territory Wallis and Futuna. Next comes the first major country on the list, Japan, where 65.88% of all mobile device users use iPhones. iPhone also enjoys a market share of 50-65% in several other countries. Examples include Denmark (64.04%), Norway (61.94%), Canada (57.84%), Australia (57.47%), and the United States, where 56.74% of all cell phone users have chosen an iOS device.
Which is more popular, iOS or Android? iPhone versus Android phones
Taken as a global whole, Android is considerably more popular than iOS. IPhone is arguably the most popular single cell phone product line in the world, with more than 1.5 billion active iPhone users as of 2023. However, Samsung's Galaxy line of phones often attains a similar global market share, and Samsung occasionally pulls ahead to lead the market. Even if it did not, the combined market share of the world's dozens (if not hundreds) of Android-based cell phone product lines easily dwarfs iPhone's total market share.
In the United Kingdom and other nations with iOS market shares ranging from the mid-40s to mid-50s, the split is relatively even. For example, in the United Kingdom, the market is split 51.63% iPhone and 47.80% Android. In Ireland, the split is 48.07%/51.49% in favor of Android, and the split in New Zealand is 46.43%/52.27%, favoring Android.
In many other countries, Android's lead over iOS is more pronounced. In Germany, the split is 37.67% vs 59.79%. In France, 35.49% vs 63.94%. China and India, the world's two most populous countries, the iPhone holds market shares of 24.32% and 3.92% respectively, with Android's shares reaching and 74.98% and 95.26%. Notably, a small-but-detectable number of people in each country use neither iPhones nor Android devices. Because of these alternate OS choices, the iOS/Android split rarely adds up to exactly 100%.
Why do some countries prefer one iPhone and others prefer Android?
Multiple possible reasons exist for why residents of a given country may prefer an iPhone or an Android phone. Consumers may be drawn to a particular feature, such as a camera or stylus. Price can also be a factor.
Finally, in many cases, the availability of a given phone or operating system may be limited. For example, as of 2023, shipment of iPhones to North Korea is embargoed, and the US does not allow the import of phones from the Chinese manufacturer Huawei. Cell phone manufacturers may also enter into exclusivity agreements with certain service providers in a given country, such as when Apple debuted the iPhone exclusively on AT&T networks in the US. Situations may also occcur in which a particular cell phone manufacturer may have a difficult time obtaining regulatory approval to release new devices in a given country, especially if they do not have close ties with a company native to that specific country.