Apple endures share slip in Europe as recessionary markets go cool on iPhone 4S, reports Kantar Worldpanel

One of the reasons rumour mongers talked up the possibility of Apple releasing a budget-conscious iPhone together with the iPhone 4S was the fear the current economic climate would prove too difficult an environment for a high-end handset.

Post-release, such concerns have proven to be baseless in some of iPhone's biggest markets with sales in the US, UK and Australia holding strong.

Across Europe, however, Apple's share is reportedly slipping, and stats released by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech suggest it's iPhone 4S's price that's leaving consumers cold.

Costly warning

Detailed by Reuters, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech claims Apple's share in France has plummeted from 29 percent to 20 percent during the 12 weeks in the run up to December.

In Germany, the fall is just as dramatic, with Apple now holding 22 percent of the market, down from an earlier high of 27 percent.

The body reports similar slips have also been recorded in Italy in Spain, with consumers in countries hit hardest by financial woes preferring to adopt cheaper Android-based handsets.

"In Great Britain, the U.S. and Australia, Apple's new iPhone continues to fly off the shelf in the run-up to Christmas," said global insight director Dominic Sunnebo.

"However, this trend is far from universal. The French market is showing increasing signs of price sensitivity. In Germany, Android achieved a dominant 61 percent share of smartphone sales in the latest 12 weeks, with the Samsung Galaxy S II the top selling handset."

In contrast, the firm reports Apple's US share has jumped from 25 percent to 36 percent during the course of the last 12 months, up similarly in the UK to 31 percent from 21 percent at the same point in 2010.

[source: Reuters]