Feature Phones Almost Extinct In US

Smartphones accounted for seven of eight devices shipped in the US during the first quarter, with Apple and Samsung leading the way.

Only 13% of the handsets shipped during the first quarter were traditional cellphones. The remaining 87% were all smartphones. Apple and Samsung chewed up the bulk of smartphone shipments, and Android-based LTE devices are selling big.

The data, which comes from Counterpoint's Market Monitor quarterly tracker program, shows that smartphone makers shipped 33 million devices in the US during the first three months of the year. While the US smartphone market grew only 7% on an annual basis, it has become the dominant segment in handsets.

Combined, Apple and Samsung own more than two-thirds of the entire US smartphone market. Samsung is the No. 1 supplier of cellphones, but Apple is the No. 1 supplier of smartphones. For example, 52% and 51% of all smartphones shipped by AT&T and Verizon Wireless, respectively, were Apple iPhones. The iPhone accounted for only 36% of smartphone shipments at Sprint and 24% at T-Mobile.

As a platform, Android accounted for 59% of all smartphones shipped during the first quarter. That means approximately 19.47 million units. Windows Phone grew to 4% of the US market, which makes for about 1.32 million units. Counterpoint didn't offer data points for iOS and BlackBerry's shares of the market. Other analyst firms show that BlackBerry has dropped to 3% or below.

Americans are adopting LTE in large numbers. Three out of four smartphones shipped during the first quarter were LTE smartphones. Together, Apple and Samsung captured more than 70% of all LTE shipments, according to Counterpoint. All four national carriers have widespread availability of LTE service. AT&T and Verizon currently have the largest LTE footprints.

Handset sales by carrier:

• The top seven phone makers at AT&T were (in order): Apple (52%), Samsung (28%), Nokia (6%), Motorola, ZTE, LG, and HTC.
• The top seven phone makers at Sprint were: Apple (36%), Samsung (30%), ZTE (10%), LG (8%), Motorola, Kyocera, and HTC.
• The top seven phone makers at T-Mobile were: Samsung (38%), Apple (24%), Kyocera (9%), LG (8%), Nokia, Motorola, and HTC. T-Mobile is the only carrier that saw Samsung outsell Apple.
• And the top seven phone makers at Verizon Wireless were: Apple (51%), Samsung, (29%), Motorola (6%), LG, Nokia, Kyocera, and HTC.

Counterpoint didn't provide any guidance on when we might see the feature phone disappear entirely, and the devices probably won't. A small market will likely remain in place indefinitely for phones that do one thing and one thing only: make phone calls.