- February 4, 2016

Comscore Reports December 2015 U.S. Smartphone Subscriber Market Share

U.S. Smartphone Penetration Approaches 80 Percent in Q4 2015

RESTON, VA, February 4, 2016  – Comscore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) today released data from Comscore MobiLens® and Mobile Metrix®, reporting key trends in the U.S. smartphone industry for December 2015. Apple ranked as the top smartphone manufacturer with 42.9 percent OEM market share, while Google Android led as the #1 smartphone platform with 53.3 percent platform market share. Facebook ranked as the top individual smartphone app.

Smartphone OEM Market Share
197.4 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones (79.3 percent mobile market penetration) during the three months ending in December. Apple ranked as the top OEM with 42.9 percent of U.S. smartphone subscribers. Samsung ranked second with 28.4 percent market share (up 0.8 percentage points from September), followed by LG with 9.9 percent (up 0.5 percentage points), Motorola with 5.3 percent (up 0.5 percentage points) and HTC with 3.3 percent.

Top Smartphone OEMs
3 Month Avg. Ending Dec. 2015 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Sep. 2015
Total U.S. Smartphone Subscribers Age 13+
Source: Comscore MobiLens
  Share (%) of Smartphone Subscribers
Sep-15 Dec-15 Point Change
Total Smartphone Subscribers 100.0% 100.0% N/A
Apple 43.6% 42.9% -0.7
Samsung 27.6% 28.4% 0.8
LG 9.4% 9.9% 0.5
Motorola 4.8% 5.3% 0.5
HTC 3.3% 3.3% 0.0

Smartphone Platform Market Share
Android ranked as the top smartphone platform in December with 53.3 percent market share (up 1 percentage point from September), followed by Apple with 42.9 percent, Microsoft with 2.9 percent and BlackBerry with 0.9 percent.

Top Smartphone Platforms
3 Month Avg. Ending Dec. 2015 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending
Sep. 2015
Total U.S. Smartphone Subscribers Age 13+
Source: Comscore MobiLens
  Share (%) of Smartphone Subscribers
Sep-15 Dec-15 Point Change
Total Smartphone Subscribers 100.0% 100.0% N/A
Android 52.3% 53.3% 1.0
Apple 43.6% 42.9% -0.7
Microsoft 2.9% 2.9% 0.0
BlackBerry 1.2% 0.9% -0.3

Top Smartphone Apps
Facebook ranked as the top smartphone app, reaching 76.8 percent of the app audience, followed by Facebook Messenger (62.5 percent), YouTube (61.3 percent) and Google Play (51.9 percent). 

Top 15 Smartphone Apps
December 2015
Total U.S. Smartphone Mobile Media Users, Age 18+ (iOS and Android Platforms)
Source: Comscore Mobile Metrix
  Top 15 Apps % Reach
1     Facebook 76.8%
2     Facebook Messenger 62.5%
3     YouTube 61.3%
4     Google Play 51.9%
5     Google Maps 50.9%
6     Google Search 50.1%
7     Gmail 45.6%
8     Pandora Radio 44.2%
9     Instagram 39.1%
10     Amazon Mobile 38.7%
11     Apple Music 32.2%
12     Yahoo Stocks 30.6%
13     Apple Maps 29.1%
14     Google Drive 25.7%
15     Twitter 24.5%

* “Apple Music,” as it appears in Comscore’s monthly reporting since July, is the same measured entity as the previously named “iTunes Radio/iCloud” that has been reported in past months’ mobile rankings. This entity, now under the new name, is referring to Apple’s native music app, which captures all music activity within that app, including listening via the streaming service, radio service and users’ personally downloaded music libraries.

For more information:  Request a Demo of Mobile Metrix or Request a Demo of MobiLens

About Mobile Metrix
Comscore Mobile Metrix provides mobile audience measurement across smartphones and tablets. Using a combination of panel and census-based measurement methods, Mobile Metrix offers an unduplicated view of mobile browsing and app audiences at the media property, website and individual app level. 

About MobiLens
Comscore MobiLens is a market research tool that provides insights into consumers’ smartphone and tablet device preferences, usage trends, and demographics. Matching quantitative observed behaviors with self-reported survey responses, MobiLens connects data about consumers’ mobile content consumption with their purchase-intents, interests and device satisfaction. Data on mobile phone usage refers to a respondent’s primary mobile phone and does not include data related to a respondent’s secondary device.

About Comscore
Comscore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is the cross-platform measurement company that precisely measures audiences, brands and consumer behavior everywhere. Comscore completed its merger with Rentrak Corporation in January 2016 to create the new model for a dynamic, cross-platform world. Built on precision and innovation, our unmatched data footprint combines proprietary digital, TV and movie intelligence with vast demographic details to quantify consumers’ multiscreen behavior at massive scale. This approach helps media companies monetize their complete audiences and allows marketers to reach these audiences more effectively. With more than 3,200 clients and global footprint in more than 75 countries, Comscore is delivering the future of measurement. For more information on Comscore, please visit comscore.com.