Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Android and iOS Continue to Dominate Smartphone Market as Windows Phone Shows Signs of Life

TWSS37 said:
75% of users are running Android. Does not matter if it's the lowest of the low phone running Donut or a shiny quad core running Jelly Bean.
Click to expand...

That's true... and it makes a great headline.

But I've asked this before... and nobody can give me a good answer:

What's the compelling story beyond that headline?

"Android" is a bunch of different versions of software put on all sorts of phones, sold at many different price ranges, from many manufacturers. That's how "Android" claimed its spot on top of the market share chart. Congratulations.

But other than that fancy headline... what does "Android" get from all this market share?
 
BaldiMac said:
The only thing to question here is that the table is meant to compare platforms, and Android isn't a single platform. IDC includes any device with an OS derived from the Android source code. Even when the OS is not Android-compatible.

(And yes, it does matter if the device is running Donut or Jelly Bean! Except to those who simply want to look at market share without any context.)
Click to expand...

I have to disagree with you. We aren't splitting out WHAT version iOS is being run on that 17.7%, or jailbroken - so why would we make that single distinction for Android?

My point about Donut was meant to be hyperbole; clearly phones aren't still shipping (I hope!) with Donut in 2013. Personally, I don't even know why phones are being built off of Gingerbread still, but that doesn't mean it's not a part of that 75%. For a non tech user, or from an emerging market, if the Android version on your phone meets your needs, then in reality, that's all that matters.

For context, there were plenty of iOS users who didn't upgrade to iOS 6 right away. TBH I am not sure if older iPhones that shipped during this time period like iPhone 4 and 4s were shipping with iOS 5 and the user had to upgrade manually.

----------
jrswizzle said:
They need to start splitting marketshare reports like this out based on Android skins.....

Is it really fair to lump TouchWiz and Sense into the same group just because they are both based on Android, when the reality is they are vastly different both aesthetically and feature-wise.....

Give me a list that goes like this....

TouchWiz marketshare
Sense Marketshare
iOS marketshare
Amazon OS marketshare
WP8 marketshare
BB10 marketshare
Stock Android marketshare

etc.....

I think that is a better way of comparing and infinitely more informative.

----------



Damn.....two posts in row I throw out there with points that have already been said almost word-for-word! lol

QFT
Click to expand...

Only when your horse is losing would you want such a distinction to be made. We're talking about core OS here on shipped phones for a particular quarter. Nothing more, nothing less.
 
BaldiMac said:
And, again, Android isn't "an OS". It is many different OS's built from the same source code. Some of which are not even compatible.
Click to expand...

More importantly, Android isn't a single entity, the market share is split among many different handset manufacturers.
 
jrswizzle said:
They need to start splitting marketshare reports like this out based on Android skins.....

Is it really fair to lump TouchWiz and Sense into the same group just because they are both based on Android, when the reality is they are vastly different both aesthetically and feature-wise.....

Give me a list that goes like this....

TouchWiz marketshare
Sense Marketshare
iOS marketshare
Amazon OS marketshare
WP8 marketshare
BB10 marketshare
Stock Android marketshare

etc.....

I think that is a better way of comparing and infinitely more informative.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

But I'd also like to see smartphone sales broken down into price ranges.

Everyone wants to compare platforms... and that's fine. But let's see what kind of hardware makes up those platforms.

The only way to get iOS on a smartphone is by purchasing an iPhone which starts at $450.

So are we shocked that a collective group of Android phones starting at $80 can achieve such phenomenal market share?
 
thundersteele said:
I believe you need a history lesson. Back when the iPhone entered the market, Blackberry and Symbian (Nokia) were dominating the "smartphone" market. Even though Apple had a vastly superior product at that time, it took a few years until they overtook these first generation smartphones - only in 2010 they overtook BB and in 2011 Symbian.




I agree. I'm happy that Windows Phone has some nice growth. Apple alone seems unable to compete with the Android platform, at least in the global market. It is good that there are other systems that keep some amount of pressure up, to push Android and iOS development further.
Click to expand...

Hahaha Windows Phone giving pressure on Android and iOS. The most late mobile OS that just got copy past few months ago and losing tablet wars putting pressure on Android and iOS.

Thanks for the joke.
 
TWSS37 said:
Only when your horse is losing would you want such a distinction to be made. We're talking about core OS here on shipped phones for a particular quarter. Nothing more, nothing less.
Click to expand...

I replied to you earlier with this question... but I'll ask it again:

Since Android's horse is "winning"... what's next?

Every few months we get headlines like these... Android is #1

But is there anything beyond that headline?
 
TWSS37 said:
I have to disagree with you. We aren't splitting out WHAT version iOS is being run on that 17.7%, or jailbroken - so why would we make that single distinction for Android?
Click to expand...

I already explained that in the post that you quoted. Some of the phones that IDC counts as Android are not even Android-compatible!

As far as your point about iOS, all iPhones shipped by Apple last quarter were running iOS 6.

My point about Donut was meant to be hyperbole; clearly phones aren't still shipping (I hope!) with Donut in 2013. Personally, I don't even know why phones are being built off of Gingerbread still, but that doesn't mean it's not a part of that 75%. For a non tech user, or from an emerging market, if the Android version on your phone meets your needs, then in reality, that's all that matters.
Click to expand...

Sure, but if that's your concern, then market share doesn't matter.

In my view, if a developer can't target the platform with a single app, it's not a single platform (with the exception of hardware-specific features, of course.)
 
BaldiMac said:
Seems like you follow your own advice. :D

In reality, things are much more nuanced.
Click to expand...

Ha... I only go by my personal usage. I've used Android AOSP, Touchwiz and Blur across Android 2.2 to 4.2.

I've also used iOS from iterations ranging from iOS 3-6.

When I used the Android devices, I knew, no matter what the skin, that I was using Android. The core pieces were in place. Sure, they may have looked a little different, but ultimately it was and felt like Android.

That's the definition I use. The only outlier to that is the Amazon Kindle Fire, but that's not a smartphone so it would not be reflected in this chart.
 
AppleScruff1 said:
Which article is correct, this one that has Android at 75% or the one a couple of weeks ago that had iOS overtaking Android by 2015?

https://www.macrumors.com/2013/04/2...ld-drive-iphone-market-share-gains-for-years/
Click to expand...

It's based on a US consumer survey. If you look at the US market share that could well be accurate, but who knows.

Most of the Android growth happens in developing countries like India and China, where an iPhone is probably out of reach for many people. I would guess that the population in these places contribute to what now show up in global market share statistics.
 
Michael Scrip said:
That's true... and it makes a great headline.

But I've asked this before... and nobody can give me a good answer:

What's the compelling story beyond that headline?

"Android" is a bunch of different versions of software put on all sorts of phones, sold at many different price ranges, from many manufacturers. That's how "Android" claimed its spot on top of the market share chart. Congratulations.

But other than that fancy headline... what does "Android" get from all this market share?
Click to expand...

I can't give you a good answer for your question, but my reply was merely to state what this chart showed. People were in defensive mode, and the data simply showed 75% Android and 17.7% iOS on smartphones for the quarter. Skins, versions, etc. aren't relevant because this wasn't about that.
 
Jsameds said:
Don't forget that only 25% of Android phones are running the latest firmware (Jellybean).

Assuming the Android phones running Jellybean are the fastest, flagship Android phones (ie the real competitors to the iPhone and not the cheapy low end ones), there's not much between that and iOS at all.


I know my logic is probably flawed somewhere here, but it's just something to keep in mind when looking at OS marketshare.
Click to expand...
Possible only 25% of Android phones in use are Jellybean, but these number are sales in the last 3 months. While some Android phones are still being sold with older, pre Jellybean, versions of the OS, I think that in terms of current sales Android phones running 4+ would be well over 50% of Android phones.
 
AppleScruff1 said:
Which article is correct, this one that has Android at 75% or the one a couple of weeks ago that had iOS overtaking Android by 2015?

https://www.macrumors.com/2013/04/2...ld-drive-iphone-market-share-gains-for-years/
Click to expand...

They are two completely different things. Current global smartphone market share vs projected US mobile platform market share.

TWSS37 said:
Ha... I only go by my personal usage. I've used Android AOSP, Touchwiz and Blur across Android 2.2 to 4.2.

I've also used iOS from iterations ranging from iOS 3-6.

When I used the Android devices, I knew, no matter what the skin, that I was using Android. The core pieces were in place. Sure, they may have looked a little different, but ultimately it was and felt like Android.

That's the definition I use. The only outlier to that is the Amazon Kindle Fire, but that's not a smartphone so it would not be reflected in this chart.
Click to expand...

I would agree with that for the most part. I don't care that Touchwiz and Sense skinned versions are counted together as Android.

The part that you are missing is that there are smartphones that ship with non-compatible Android (particularly in China). They do not run Android apps. These are the ones that I think should be taken out of Android's total market share.
 
TWSS37 said:
I have to disagree with you. We aren't splitting out WHAT version iOS is being run on that 17.7%, or jailbroken - so why would we make that single distinction for Android?

My point about Donut was meant to be hyperbole; clearly phones aren't still shipping (I hope!) with Donut in 2013. Personally, I don't even know why phones are being built off of Gingerbread still, but that doesn't mean it's not a part of that 75%. For a non tech user, or from an emerging market, if the Android version on your phone meets your needs, then in reality, that's all that matters.

For context, there were plenty of iOS users who didn't upgrade to iOS 6 right away. TBH I am not sure if older iPhones that shipped during this time period like iPhone 4 and 4s were shipping with iOS 5 and the user had to upgrade manually.

----------



Only when your horse is losing would you want such a distinction to be made. We're talking about core OS here on shipped phones for a particular quarter. Nothing more, nothing less.
Click to expand...

FYI, I don't have a "horse"......I'm not saying split out Android versions as far as 4.2.2 versus 2.1 - its a somewhat unique scenario for Android that can't be compared with iOS.

I suppose either way you go there isn't a direct comparison. Either you're lumping in a bunch of modified OSes (some of which don't even look like each other or have the same features/functions) or you're splitting them based on not enough differences.....

Anyways, just a suggestion. Personally, I'd be interested in seeing what percentage of the market is on Vanilla Android versus Touchwiz or Sense (which all have different versions as well by the way).
 
Michael Scrip said:
I replied to you earlier with this question... but I'll ask it again:

Since Android's horse is "winning"... what's next?

Every few months we get headlines like these... Android is #1

But is there anything beyond that headline?
Click to expand...

Again, my point was in response to another post. Winning and losing, personally, to me, don't matter. (And when I say "win" or "lose", I just mean who is #1 and who is not #1.)

When you "lose" or are losing, you make excuses. It could be sports, it could be marks on a test, or in this case, smartphones. People try and rationalize why they didn't win or do better.

If you're pressing me for an answer, I'd just say that you can plan long term with a developed and sustained user base. You can tailor today's projects around an OS that you know in 2013 is being used by 75% of users. So I'd say future product development and planning. I think that's why it took so long to go from Cupcake to Gingerbread, there wasn't an established user base to throw resources behind because it was just a niche OS. Would Google Glass be in development without such heavy Android based users? (I don't know)
 
Michael Scrip said:
Agreed.

But I'd also like to see smartphone sales broken down into price ranges.

Everyone wants to compare platforms... and that's fine. But let's see what kind of hardware makes up those platforms.

The only way to get iOS on a smartphone is by purchasing an iPhone which starts at $450.

So are we shocked that a collective group of Android phones starting at $80 can achieve such phenomenal market share?
Click to expand...

I'm not.....these types of general reports are worthless IMO. I doubt there's a company on that list that really much cares about this marketshare table.

More likely they care about MUCH more specific data, drilled down to price levels, Android versions, skins, iOS versions, carriers, countries and so on....

General reports like this can be made to say whatever you want (for instance this is only the marketshare/shipments for Q12013 vs Q12012....the overall Android marketshare - how many Androids versus iOS devices - is not specified here).

You'd have to compare overall handset usage to get a TRUE marketshare picture. I could be buying a new Android phone every quarter and only 1 iPhone a year. It would seem that Android has sold 4 times as many phones, when the reality is I dumped the other three and am using 1 iPhone and 1 Android.

Again, let's try not to put too much stock into these reports. (and yes, I'd say the same if iOS were leading - though I'd be much more shocked to see 1 company outselling the hundreds of others).
 
AppleScruff1 said:
Is it possible for Android to be at 75% and growing globally and sinking that much in the US in 3 years?
Click to expand...

Well remember that apple is already in the lead in the us. I think. don't quote me on that but i could have sworn I read that. Honestly, I think that article you linked to is ridiculous cuz it pretty much says no one else is going to grow except apple.

Android doesn't have the same momentum in the us as it has everywhere else.
 
BaldiMac said:
I would agree with that for the most part. I don't care that Touchwiz and Sense skinned versions are counted together as Android.

The part that you are missing is that there are smartphones that ship with non-compatible Android (particularly in China). They do not run Android apps. These are the ones that I think should be taken out of Android's total market share.
Click to expand...

So its clear, I'm going to assume that you mean Gapps (Play Store) when you refer to 'Android apps'. And To be honest, I think that's valid but at the same time not. It's a slippery slope to start parsing out what 'is' and what 'isnt' Android when at its core, it's Android.

Part of how I make decisions is to look at the past. Literally this road is being blazed in real time. We don't have the luxury of the past to make distinctions, so for the foreseeable future, we're going to have this type of discussion because it's an unknown quantity.

----------
jrswizzle said:
FYI, I don't have a "horse"......I'm not saying split out Android versions as far as 4.2.2 versus 2.1 - its a somewhat unique scenario for Android that can't be compared with iOS.

I suppose either way you go there isn't a direct comparison. Either you're lumping in a bunch of modified OSes (some of which don't even look like each other or have the same features/functions) or you're splitting them based on not enough differences.....

Anyways, just a suggestion. Personally, I'd be interested in seeing what percentage of the market is on Vanilla Android versus Touchwiz or Sense (which all have different versions as well by the way).
Click to expand...

Like I just posted, it's the unknown quantity that's the problem. Everyone has their own definition, and no one is really wrong, no one is really right... My personal distinction is the core OS. Is it running Android? Then it's Android. Everything else is a layer outside of this core. Whether it be Gapps, skins, etc. You couldn't have those without Android behind it.

For your latter question, it wouldn't be too hard to discern that most of Samsung runs Touchwiz, most of HTC runs Sense, etc. The only differences that I'm aware of are the new vanilla S4 and the Moto Xoom.
 
jrswizzle said:
i'm not.....these types of general reports are worthless imo. I doubt there's a company on that list that really much cares about this marketshare table.

More likely they care about much more specific data, drilled down to price levels, android versions, skins, ios versions, carriers, countries and so on....

General reports like this can be made to say whatever you want (for instance this is only the marketshare/shipments for q12013 vs q12012....the overall android marketshare - how many androids versus ios devices - is not specified here).

You'd have to compare overall handset usage to get a true marketshare picture. I could be buying a new android phone every quarter and only 1 iphone a year. It would seem that android has sold 4 times as many phones, when the reality is i dumped the other three and am using 1 iphone and 1 android.

Again, let's try not to put too much stock into these reports. (and yes, i'd say the same if ios were leading - though i'd be much more shocked to see 1 company outselling the hundreds of others).
Click to expand...

+1
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back