Apple's iconic iPhone seems to be sliding down in the popularity chart and is not that cool anymore in Asia, per a Reuters report. The iPhone is getting beaten by Android in the smartphone space, with consumers in Asia gravitating towards the latter at an increased pace.

"Apple Inc's iconic iPhone is losing some of its luster among Asia's well-heeled consumers in Singapore and Hong Kong, a victim of changing mobile habits and its own runaway success," reported Reuters.

So what's the reason behind this shift in preference? Apparently, the consumers are bored of the iPhone and are looking to other brands like Samsung, in a bid to be different.

"Driven by a combination of iPhone fatigue, a desire to be different and a plethora of competing devices, users are turning to other brands, notably those from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, eating into Apple's market share," noted Reuters.

Bearing testimony to the new trend is the market share figures for the iPhone in Singapore. In Jan. 2012, the iPhone accounted for 72 percent of the market, whereas presently it is just fifty percent.

To give Apple its due, the Cupertino-based company's products are still viewed as having snob value; however, with several top-of-the-line Android phones competing for consumer attention, the going hasn't been that easy for the iPhone.

"Apple is still viewed as a prestigious brand, but there are just so many other cool smartphones out there now that the competition is just much stiffer," said Tom Clayton, chief executive of Singapore-based Bubble Motion.

Hong Kong and Singapore are perceived as the trend-setting hotbeds of Asia, indicators of emerging global trends from an electronics perspective, and other key markets usually follow suit.

With iPhone losing its sheen and the "it factor" in Asia, and seemingly succumbing to competition from Android smartphones, the million-dollar question is will other markets follow suit?