Samsung Galaxy S6 Spurs Strong Sales For Android, LG Soars, HTC and Motorola Lag: Analyst

Strong sales for the Samsung Galaxy S6 resulted in a stellar three-month period ending in May for both Android and the top smartphone manufacturer. LG also performed well, while Motorola and HTC lagged.

A new report analyzing smartphone sales for a three-month period ending in May shows good news for Samsung, LG and the Android operating system in general, while the latest numbers for HTC and Motorola show both smartphone makers falling behind.

The latest data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Phones indicates that phones running the Android operating system accounted for 64.9 percent of all smartphone sales during the period, a jump of nearly three percent. Samsung's U.S. market share rose by three percent to 55 percent for the three months ending in May as opposed to the 52 percent share for the company in the three months ending in April. May was the first full month that the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge were available for purchase in the U.S.

LG also had a stellar three-month period. Smartphone sales for the manufacturer practically doubled compared with the figures from a year ago. The data does not account for sales of the company's latest flagship smartphone, the LG G4, which debuted after the period of measurement occurred.

The news was not so rosy for HTC and Motorola, each of which saw a significant sales decline. HTC is still reeling from the poor reception to its latest flagship device, the HTC One M9, which debuted during the three-month period measured. The company has seen the resignation of its chief designer and is promising another new flagship by the end of this year.

Carolina Milanesi, chief of research for Kantar Worldpanel ComTech stated: "Sales of Android-based smartphones were fueled not only by Samsung, but also by LG, which was able to nearly double its share of the U.S. smartphone market year-over-year. Other tier-one Android players, such as HTC and Motorola, had a more difficult period, with their share decreasing both year-over-year and period-over-period, raising hopes for competitors — such as Huawei and Sony, who have yet to wow U.S. consumers — that share could be up for grabs."