• iPhone 6 popularity continues to be on the rise

iPhone 6 popularity continues to be on the rise (Photo : Facebook)

Demand for the Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus increased by 1.8 percentage points in Europe during the first three months of the year compared to what it was during the same period a year ago, revealed a Kantar Worldpanel ComTech report.

Experts attributed the rise in demand for the iPhone 6 range to its larger display which is the highest it has ever been for any iPhone device. With this, Apple's share of the market now stands at 20.3 percent in five of the biggest markets in Europe, namely Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

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Google's Android platform still holds the sway in the smartphone segment with 68.4 percent share in the said markets but has slipped 3.1 points to accommodate a growing iPhone demand.

Chief of research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, Carolina Milanesi said about one third or 32.4 percent new buyers of the iPhone 6 are switchovers from the Android platform, mentioned BGR.

Apple is also reaping gold in China which alone has emerged as one of the fastest growing markets for the Connecticut based company. China has emerged as a bigger market for Apple than the US where the iPhone holds 26.1 percent of the market, which marks a healthy rise from the 17.9 percent it was during the same period in 2014.

"Thirty-five percent of consumers who bought an Android smartphone in 1Q15 said their decision was driven by receiving a good price on the phone," said Dominic Sunnebo, business unit director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Europe.

"Another 29 percent said that getting a good deal on the tariff/contract was a factor in their purchase."

Microsoft's Windows continues to languish at the third spot and has failed to show any significant gains during the said quarter. Researchers though are sceptical of things changing for the better once Microsoft launches its Windows 10 platform later in the year, revealed Cnet.