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For the first time since 2012, Apple Inc.’s iOS outsold Google Inc.’s Android mobile operating system in the U.S. It also gained on Android in Europe and China.

According to the latest smartphone sales data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, covering the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2014, iOS devices outsold those running Android by 0.1 percent. Of the total number of smartphones sold in the U.S. over December, Apple accounted for 47.4 percent and Android for 47.6 percent.

“While the success of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is unprecedented, this quarter’s performance also points to Apple having its strongest portfolio ever,” said Carolina Milanesi, chief of research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.  “With a range of devices available at different price points in both contract and pre-pay, Apple was able to take advantage of a weaker Android offering at the premium end of the market.”

Apple’s lead, albeit slight, comes as no surprise after Apple recorded a record 74.5 million iPhones sold in the quarter ended December 27, with more than 50 percent of all mobile devices given as Christmas gifts running iOS.

The success of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, combined with Samsung’s declining smartphone and tablet shipments in Q4, has led to Apple gaining ground in other markets as well.

In Europe, iOS’s market share increased by 6.2 percent, while Android lost 3.8 percent year-over-year to 66.1 percent. The biggest contributor to Apple’s European gain was the U.K., where demand for the iPhone led to an increase of 13.1 percent over 2013.

The only European market where Android grew was Italy, increasing its share by a mere 1.1 percent over December 2013.

“Considering the strong pre-pay market and the wider direct channel it is not a surprise that Android products – with their value for money proposition – continue to appeal to Italian consumers,” said Dominic Sunnebo, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Europe.

In China, Apple’s iPhone also proved very popular in Q4. What’s more, for one in four Chinese consumers who bought an iPhone during that period, it was the first time they had ever bought a smartphone.

“While Xiaomi remained the bestselling brand in the latest period, Apple was able to close the gap slightly, growing its share to 21.5 percent from 19 percent last year,” said Tamsin Timpson, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Asia.

Image: Jeff Chiu | The Associated Press