iPhone Continues to be The Most Sold SmartPhone in The U.S.

Apple's iOS mobile operating system remained the top-selling smartphone platform in the U.S. in the final quarter of 2012, continuing its reign over Google's Android, according to new data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

During the 12-week period ending on Dec. 23, iOS nabbed 51.2 percent of U.S. market sales, while second-place Android took around 44.8 percent. Microsoft's Windows Phone came in third with 2.6 percent.

"Apple's continual improvement is thanks to both the iPhone 5 and older models attracting various customer groups, from repeat Apple buyers, first time smartphone buyers, and those coming from other smartphone brands," Kantar Worldpanel ComTech analyst Mary-Ann Parlato said in a statement.

Overall, 36 percent of iOS sales during the quarter came from consumers who switched to the iPhone from another smartphone brand, largely Android. The percentage of those saying goodbye to Android for Apple over the last year rose to 19 percent from just 9 percent in 2011.

Another 35 percent of iOS sales during the quarter came from those who upgraded from an older iPhone model, while 30 percent came from individuals who were purchasing to their first smartphone, according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

The data comes from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech USA's consumer panel, which conducts more than 250,000 interviews per year in the United States. The report focused on sales rather than market share.

Meanwhile, AT&T maintained its lead as the top smartphone carrier in the U.S., according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. AT&T nabbed 33 percent of smartphone sales during the quarter, narrowly edging out Verizon, which captured 32 percent. Third-place Sprint declined during the period with 14.8 percent of smartphone sales.

AT&T continued to leverage its large Apple base, with 55 percent of its iOS sales stemming from users upgrading to a newer iPhone model, while the majority of Verizon's iOS sales came from its massive feature phone base. [PCMag]

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