Apple Inc. Closes Australian Gap With SAMSUNG ELECT LTD

Apple Inc. AAPL closed its market-share gap with Samsung SSNLF in Australia during the the first three months of the year, where it's now effectively running neck-and-neck, according to market research issued Tuesday. http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prAU25679615 Australia's mobile phone market grew more than 29 percent in the first quarter, to a total of 2.3 million units, according to Framingham, Massachusetts-based IDC. Apple saw its Australian market share rise to 49 percent in the period, from 38 percent a year earlier, while Samsung's share fell to 32 percent, from about 40 percent in 2014. IDC's data suggests that about 1.2 million iPhones were sold in Australia during the first three months of 2015. Apple says it sold more than 61 million iPhone units worldwide during the quarter ended March 28. Australia has a population of about 24 million, or about 32 percent fewer people than Canada. Much of Australia's smartphone market growth is attributed to the continued popularity of Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, according to IDC. Down-under momentum is also seen in the entry-level smartphones such as the Telstra Tempo and Rush, with both phones selling for around $75 in U.S. currency, IDC said. Mobile phone operators engaged in minor Australian price warring, with several flagship smartphone models also becoming available at a cheaper monthly-plan, including the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8.