Apple iPhone 4S anticipation slowed uptake last quarter, says Good Technology

Anticipation over the October release of the iPhone 4S appears to have slowed sales of the handset in the past quarter, according to mobile security firm Good Technology.

The company said in its quarterly data report that its customer network saw a slow in the growth of iOS handsets combined with a gain in activations of Android handsets.

John Herrema, senior vice president of corporate strategy for Good Technology, told V3 the lull in iPhone growth was likely due to customers waiting for the release of the iPhone 4S. The company noted a sharp jump in activations since the release of the new handset.

"i think we are seeing the latest cycle where it had been a while since Apple had introduced any new hardware and at the same time we were seeing the introduction of Android 4G devices," Herrema said. "We took a quick look at the first week of availability and it looks like iPhone 4S is activating at a higher rate than iPhone 4."

Good Technology is not alone in noticing a lull in iPhone sales over the summer quarter. Apple noted sagging sales in its recent financial filings.

While Herrema believes that while the handset market will continue as with steady growth for both Android and iPhone, the tablet market is shaping up for far more dramatic growth. Over the last year, the company saw tablets go from less than 10 per cent of all activation activity to anywhere from 25 to 30 per cent each month.

Though iPhones are currently dominating the tablet market, Herrema said that many companies are looking to make corporate purchases of tablets for employee use, possibly opening the door for Android or Windows 8 devices.

"We are seeing our customers certainly supporting them, but they are also proactively procuring them, and right now they are procuring iPads," Herrema said. "That is going to be the more interesting trend to watch, to see whether Android tablets can get traction and mindshare with CIOs."