With Apple set to launch its seventh version of the iPhone on Thursday, the company would be hoping to recover some ground that it had lost to Samsung’s premium segment smartphones launched in March this year. Data from Strategy Analytics shows the Cupertino, California-based giant has been losing market share to Samsung over the last three quarters. A report by Kantar Worldpanel shows Samsung was leading the market in the US with a 16% share in the premium segment to Apple’s 14.6%. Some of that could change if the iPhone 7 turns out to be a hit; while the iPhone 6Plus had a new form factor, some of the models were only incrementally better than the previous ones. Analysts believe, however, the iPhone 7 could be a significant upgrade and that it would help Apple gain market share across countries.
Meanwhile, Samsung is trying to fix a problem with the battery of its recently launched Note 7 which, Strategy Analytics suggest, could cost it 4 million units. India has emerged as a major market for Apple in recent years and is vying with Samsung for the top slot in the premium segment. Rather than discounting its models, Apple’s strategy in India has been to lure buyers by offering attractive buybacks for older models.