Android Dominates Nearly 80% of Smartphone Market, iOS Drops to 13% Share

[BaldiMac]

So does google .

And Google activation states are far below the shipments reported by IDC and Gartner.

And this argument has been used for years, if stores werent actually selling android sets, they wouldnt be offering them.

That's just silly. Obviously, there are failed smartphones.

BS, they are handed down or given just as well. Lets not pretend an samsung S2 now is any less good now then an iphone 4

It increases just as much for android and the other devices.

Based on what? Resale value says otherwise.

Complete BS, even ignoring custom roms (wich gave even the oldest android phones the latest version) something like an S2 got updated until 4.2.x

Which ignores all the Android phones that don't get updated.

And thats ignoring an inherent (and important) difference between IOS and android, android doesnt need to change version to update its stock apps

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/122...d-gets-major-update-new-navigation-info-added

But it does need to change version for security, performance, and new APIs.

Either way you look at it, android is gaining market share and has been for years.

Slowly but steadily iOS wich once ruled is being pushed out of the market, and not just the low/mid end.

Well, other than the fact that it's growing in sales and dominates most financial metrics.

 

[pirg]

Except for those numbers that Apple counted that was shipped phones to Verizon that Verizon still hasn't sold?

Did you even read past the headline in the story you're referencing? Don't answer that, clearly you did not.

 

[k995]

If we're talking 100 people, then it's not worthing developing for 10 people. But, that 10% is still what, 100-200 million users, if not more, who are spending billions on apps and accessories every year. Haven't downloads from the Play store only just reached App Store levels? And it took 90% market share to achieve what Apple's achieving with 10%?

The market is still very much open for iOS developers.

Oh i agree, but there is a shift . I just dont want to see ios pushed to the sides . And in that example of a 100 million if the other choice has a billion potential customers , ios will get pushed to a later date .

 

[BaldiMac]

The less market share an eco system has, the less likely developers and companies are inclined to support it.

The history of iOS v Android says otherwise.

Less usable apps (increased by the lower marketshare among friends) means people will be less inclined to buy it completing the circle.

Less market share does not mean less people using it. And certainly more phones sold in China doesn't affect me in the US.

 

[k995]

And Google activation states are far below the shipments reported by IDC and Gartner.

Where do you get that ? Google reports up to 150 million a month , 400 million last year expected double this tear seems pretty in line
http://www.slashgear.com/google-con...droid-activations-48bn-app-installs-15282183/

That's just silly. Obviously, there are failed smartphones.

Then those leave the market again this argument has been used for years and android keeps growing .

Based on what? Resale value says otherwise.

that wasnt the argument , and seeing an iphone is generaly a lit mire expensive , of course resale value is higher .

Which ignores all the Android phones that don't get updated.

and alose the apple updates that made my ipad 1 and iphone 4 almost unusable . In both cases i reverted.

The daughter her galaxy ace with custom rom actually runs smoothet then with what is was released try that with ios .

But it does need to change version for security, performance, and new APIs.

In apps no , even in
The rom with a custom one : no . Overal yes it does wich plenty of devices get . Is it as good as apple ( nit including custom roms ) no , but i dont buy a smartphonz for possible furure updates .

Well, other than the fact that it's growing in sales and dominates most financial metrics.

Shrinking in market and profit share , and at a cost of lower margins wich results in a barely
Increase in Profits .

----------

The history of iOS v Android says otherwise.



Less market share does not mean less people using it. And certainly more phones sold in China doesn't affect me in the US.

That history is still ongoing you knoW, and it does affect you .

 

[r3m1]

The device markets will reach the same sort of equilibrium as Mac OS vs Windows. The educated and more affluent (which are a distinct minority) will make up the bulk of Apple customers while the drooling masses will remain in the Windows/Android camp.

It is what it is....$$$ and IQ.

With a statement like that you seem to be lacking the IQ-part.

 

[SkyBell]

Not surprising. I'm guessing a lot of people are like myself; I paid $40 for a Virgin Mobile Android phone. It runs 2.3, no room for more than a few apps, is more than bit slow, absolutely **** battery life, etc.

But all of that is mostly unimportant. It makes calls, texts, browses the web at a reasonable pace, and I can play Doodle Jump. That's all that really matters.

 

[cdmoore74]

This time next year it could be 85% to 90% if the iphone 5s flops. Scary that Apple has the chopped nuts to battle the Android flag ships without another redesign. You got Note 3, HTC T6 phablet, Sony's 6.4 inch monster and the just announced LG 5.2" beast. All while S4 and HTC one get discounted especially around*Christmas time. There's just*too many choices coming from all angles. And it starts all over again January 2014 when iphone sales begin their predictable decline.
The app developers should be very afraid if they survive off app sales. What good is the app store when your marketshare is in the single digits?

 

[Todd B.]

So basically Google (and their partners) release cheap, substandard phones and you're surprised that they weaseled their way into the market?

Honestly, who cares. Apple will always have the edge with quality, who cares about quantity.

 

[chazmuzz]

My conclusion was reached by realizing that you have no idea how to choose which platform to develop for beyond "popularity" which you also gauge by a very poor metric. Of course, as you pointed out, I was incorrect in assuming there are no ignorant developers.

As a developer, I am merely a tool. I convert designs and specifications into a usable product. Could you explain why I'm wrong to think that fewer users will correlate to less development work in the future? If the share of iOS shrinks below 5%, many companies will have to decide how worthwhile it will be to support iOS. It depends a lot on the product and how the owner expects to monetize it. Only one of the seven iOS projects I have worked on had the intention of raising revenue though AppStore sales, in-app purchases or advertising (although a few apps were essentially large advertisements).

 

[donutbagel]

The same reason why iOS isn't considered Unix.

It isn't? There's also no "Linux" phone. There's Ubuntu.

 

[the8thark]

Wake me up when Apple has less than 80% of the total smartphone market profit share. . . that won't be for a long time yet.

Apple have learnt to sell less product but make much much more profit from it. Some samesung have not learnt. Heck I'd rather have iOS's 13% share. Cause that 13% is the lion's share of the profits.

 

[FF_productions]

Sounds like Mac vs PC all over again. Apple standing its ground, not watering down its product, releasing products only when they feel the need. Apple will continue to have a high concentration of profit but with way less devices than android.

 

[BJonson]

Wake me up when Apple has less than 80% of the total smartphone market profit share. . . that won't be for a long time yet.

Apple have learnt to sell less product but make much much more profit from it. Some samesung have not learnt. Heck I'd rather have iOS's 13% share. Cause that 13% is the lion's share of the profits.

Cool. How does it feel to pay more for less hardware?

 

[kenwk]

Apple keeps putting their head in the sand. The numbers show it IS happening, no matter how special you think apple is.

Don't think apple is special but they do have good products.

If you really think about it apple has only one phone vs. a zillion other phones.

 

[AaronEdwards]

Sounds like Mac vs PC all over again. Apple standing its ground, not watering down its product, releasing products only when they feel the need. Apple will continue to have a high concentration of profit but with way less devices than android.

Apple really didn't have the kind of share of total profit back then as it has today, and developers picked PC over Mac, despite all those PC being so cheap and made of inferior components....

Now, Apple's share of total profit is dropping and there are more and more cheap Android phones....

Obviously, since Apple now also makes money from sales in the App Store and from iTunes I doubt it will be as bad as it was during Mac vs PC.

 

[Todd B.]

Cool. How does it feel to pay more for less hardware?

Paying more for quality hardware.

In case you didn't realize, the iPhone actually, you know, works unlike cheap, plastic Android phones.

They also have actual support, something that Google/Android know nothing about.

 

[BJonson]

Don't think apple is special but they do have good products.

If you really think about it apple has only one phone vs. a zillion other phones.

That's the problem. If you want IOS (which is great) you have only one choice. If apple only made a real phone they would have 100% share. I'm talking about a 5" phone with a removable battery, SD card, wireless charging, NFC, and stick a IR remote in there to control the apple tv for good measure. Android would crumble overnight. Nope, will never happen. Apple has always been this way, they never give us what we really want. Just a taste.

 

[pirg]

Cool. How does it feel to pay more for less hardware?

How does it feel to pay less for a phone that doesn't get updated, lags and has a healthy malware ridden ecosystem?

I guess you get what you pay for.

 

[BJonson]

Paying more for quality hardware.

In case you didn't realize, the iPhone actually, you know, works unlike cheap, plastic Android phones.

They also have actual support, something that Google/Android know nothing about.

This statement is false.

 

[Todd B.]

That's the problem. If you want IOS (which is great) you have only one choice. If apple only made a real phone they would have 100% share. I'm talking about a 5" phone with a removable battery, SD card, wireless charging, NFC, and stick a IR remote in there to control the apple tv for good measure. Android would crumble overnight. Nope, will never happen. Apple has always been this way, they never give us what we really want. Just a taste.

All of those "features" you mentioned are gimmicks. How do gimmicks make something a "real" phone?

This statement is false.

Maybe to fandroids it is but to those living in the real world, it is factual.

 

[AaronEdwards]

If you really think about it apple has only one phone vs. a zillion other phones.

That's Apple choice, it isn't forced to release as few models as it does.

Other smart phone manufacturers believe that releasing a number of models is a better strategy and Google believes that having Android on a number of different models is better than to only having it on high end models.
Again, their choices.

 

[shigzeo]

Casually looking around, I'd have guessed it's the other way around.

In Japan, there are a lot of iPhones, but predominately, it is Android phones and precisely because many are cheap or included in the plan. There are a few very ardent android admirers among the large user base, but most are just getting android because it is better than getting a touch phone or whatever the other type is called.

I have a feeling that America is different; there are lots of people that think Apple are a dominating company and the world will end when they die or something so people 'rebel' by purchasing, of all companies, Samsung or something else.

 

[otismotive77]

and never again expect iOS to take lead again, it's a single iphone vs the whole android army, how can it reverse.

 

[69650]

Falling market share is bound to affect their profits at some point simply because they're selling less than they otherwise would. Would be interesting to know what the bottom line is for market share before revenues/profits start declining.

I think they made a mistake not releasing a larger screen option on the iPhone 5 last year and thereby giving Samsung a huge sales boost. Presumably we won't see a larger iPhone for at least another year or so. I just hope the cheaper iPhone 5C is able to grab some of that share back before it starts putting off potential developers.