iOS More Popular in Japan and US, Android Dominates in China and India

When it comes to the global smartphone market, the Android operating system dominates the competition. According to Statista, Android enjoyed an 87 percent share of the global market in 2019, while Apple's iOS holds a mere 13 percent. This gap is expected to increase over the next few years.

Even with its global market share so low, iPhone has managed to reign supreme in a few key countries. Statistics from StatCounter show that the iPhone holds over 60 percent of the market in Japan and over 50 percent of the market in the United States. The numbers in Canada are closer to a 50-50 split.

Unfortunately for Apple, these are the only countries where iOS is more popular than Android. Google's operating system is more common in the UK, Germany, China, and many other countries. The iPhone holds less than 20 percent of the market in Brazil, Nigeria, and India.

A major factor to consider is price. The Apple iPhone is a high-end, high-price product that many in emerging economies balk at when comparing it with mid-range devices that use the Android operating system. For instance, high import taxes in India significantly raised the price of iOS devices higher than the market was willing to pay. As a result, the Indian market is currently at 97 percent Android.

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But Apple is aiming to shake up the market in places like India, thanks to a new production facility in Chennai that will let the company compete with cheaper Android devices. Apple has also shown interest in the mid-range market with the release of a new iPhone SE. So Android's dominance could be challenged by iOS in the near future.