iPhone 5S best seller amid sluggish Android sales, analyst says
Apple's victory may be short lived, says analyst Michael Walkley, as Android is likely to regain lost ground this quarter based on preorders for new high-end phones.
In an investors note out Thursday, Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley said that Android smartphone sales have been soft as new devices get set to launch this month. As just one example, Samsung's new Galaxy S5 will reach consumers on April 11.
As such, March surveys of wireless stores conducted by Canaccord Genuity point to the iPhone 5S as the top seller in the US and many other countries. But Apple's victory may be short lived, according to Walkley.
"With our surveys indicating gradually increasing consumer interest in and pre-order activity for these new Android smartphones, we anticipate new high-end Android smartphones will gain market share versus the iPhone during the June quarter," Walkley said.
But don't get too cocky, Android. The pendulum is likely to swing back to Apple in the third quarter with the expected launch of the iPhone 6. A rumored larger screen size could generate a significant number of upgrades among loyal iPhone users, helping Apple win back lost market share, the analyst added.
"Given strong iPhone and iPad customer loyalty, we believe larger screen iPhones and iPads should create a very strong upgrade cycle during [the second half of 2014] given the popularity of larger screen smartphones and tablets combined with new hardware form factors accelerating replacement rates for Apple's growing installed base," Walkley said.