Android Jumps Past iOS in Overall U.S. Smartphone Usage

[mgridgaway]

Does this really suprise anyone? There's only 1 current gen iphone available on 2 carriers in the US, whearas there's at least a dozen current Android phones on just about every carrier (even prepaids like Virgin Mobile).

edit: tl;dr more than first couple pages, and now I see this sentiment is expressed by others.

 

[archipellago]

I remember the days when fanbois claimed this day will never happen.

Anyway, it will be a tough battle, I'm still not convinced Android is any better than iOS. I think Apple will fall to around 20% for both smartphone and PC market, but will maintain 50% at tablet. This is still a HUGE number for both segments.

Worldwide, Apple are currently around the 4% mark in the 'PeeCee' market.

 

[ericinboston]

A few reasons why Android is beating iPhone:

1)Android has always been, and always will be, on tons of cell carriers. Apple? Not until their 4th "generation" of their phone (5 years I think) has Apple allowed other carriers other than AT&T. Oh, and right now it's still just ATT and Verizon. Thus millions of consumers have been able to buy the Android on their current/favorite cell carrier.

2)Android phones come from various manufacturers with different pricepoints and different designs. Apple is Apple. I'm not complaining, I'm just stating the fact that there are more choices again for potential Android customers at the phone level.

3)Although I love my 3GS, I've seen a few family members (who actually WANTED the iPhone but Verizon simply didn't have it so they got the Android) with Androids and I have to say it's pretty darn good.

4)AntennaGate...whether you believe it or not...was the talk of the world for several months in 2010...bad PR on many levels for Apple when the Android was making its debut. Apple's crappy response after response made Apple look like Scrooge. Apple gives away $0.89 "bumpers" to limited users for a limited time and that, in Apple's eyes, makes everything good. What a joke...and nobody was laughing.

5)iPhone 5...nobody knows when but best reports are Sep 2011 (5 months from now)...I think many people with an iPhone 3GS or non-smartphone who want a smartphone don't want to buy a last year's full-price iPhone 4 right now WHILE THEY MAY POSSIBLY HAVE TO CHOOSE a new phone/contract and are opting to try Android. My ATT contract expires in Sep this year and I have to say, I ain't waiting later than Thanksgiving for the iPhone 5...a)I want off ATT and b)There will be plenty of Androids out in Thanksgiving that will blow away my iPhone 3GS.


Again, overall I love my iPhone 3GS. I think the 4 has much better camera/video quality and Facetime but that's really it. Hopefully iPhone 5 will have a much sweeter camera, some major iOS enhancements (features), and larger storage for the phones (32GB min, 64GB) WHILE COSTING LESS.

 

[Steve121178]

These smartphone stats are quite interesting. We have a open plan office and when I look around me I see about 5 iPhone 4's, 3 iPhone 3GS's and 1 android.

Also look at how much money Apple has in the bank now in relation to their smartphone market share...

What's that got to do with anything?

 

[Jett0516]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8G4)

And how many android devices are free or buy one, get one free? It's amazing how fast you can gain market usage when you give your stuff away...

At&t is selling the 3gs for $49.

 

[vladtheimpaler]

I also thought it was Macrumors and not iPhonerumors

Macrumors is just the name of the site, whatever "rumors" get posted just have to somehow relate to Apple I guess.

Are you

 

[bobr1952]

I just don't really see how anyone should be surprised. It should be totally obvious to anyone who watches the smart phone market that Android would easily surpass IOS--they are indeed everywhere and I'm sure when it comes time to get a new phone--those with no preconceived ideas on what they want will walk out of the store with some kind of Android. Most who go in looking for an iPhone will probably leave with one. As long as Apple--and their shareholders are happy, I don't think it really matters.

 

[RestlessDeviant]

I've been sitting on a **** windows mobile phone for about 2 years & decided to upgrade about 3 months ago & decided to wait for iphone5.

I buy macbooks & I'm not a mid / late cycle buyer & don't mind waiting for something good.

However Apple lost my custom today. All these stories about putting the release date back and rumors about a 'small' update.....

I ain't hanging around to find out. Just ordered a Galaxy S II

Android here i come.

 

[archipellago]

What's that got to do with anything?

it s called

'Straw Clutching'

in simple terms the Android 'deal' offers much more for less outlay (in some cases 50%+ less outlay)

both from a hardware and software point of view.

..and the new ASUS transformer tablet will show the real reasons Jobs didn't want flash to succeed!

 

[archipellago]

I've been sitting on a **** windows mobile phone for about 2 years & decided to upgrade about 3 months ago & decided to wait for iphone5.

I buy macbooks & I'm not a mid / late cycle buyer & don't mind waiting for something good.

However Apple lost my custom today. All these stories about putting the release date back and rumors about a 'small' update.....

I ain't hanging around to find out. Just ordered a Galaxy S II

Android here i come.

nice choice, its awesome.

 

[lilo777]

I just don't really see how anyone should be surprised. It should be totally obvious to anyone who watches the smart phone market that Android would easily surpass IOS--they are indeed everywhere and I'm sure when it comes time to get a new phone--those with no preconceived ideas on what they want will walk out of the store with some kind of Android. Most who go in looking for an iPhone will probably leave with one. As long as Apple--and their shareholders are happy, I don't think it really matters.

Phone users will be the first to see feel the impact of these developments as Android ecosystem will see much faster development than iOS. With more and better options, users will overwhelmingly switch to Android. And then, it'll be AAPL shareholders turn to feel the impact.

 

[kenypowa]

LOL @ all the sour apples. Fanboys in collective denial.

Actually iPhone is doing great. Other than Apple and Google, everyone is losing.

 

[lilo777]

I've been sitting on a **** windows mobile phone for about 2 years & decided to upgrade about 3 months ago & decided to wait for iphone5.

I buy macbooks & I'm not a mid / late cycle buyer & don't mind waiting for something good.

However Apple lost my custom today. All these stories about putting the release date back and rumors about a 'small' update.....

I ain't hanging around to find out. Just ordered a Galaxy S II

Android here i come.

Welcome home my son!

-Android

 

[kenypowa]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8G4)

And how many android devices are free or buy one, get one free? It's amazing how fast you can gain market usage when you give your stuff away...

It is amazing that for the price of 5 iPhone 3GS, you can get ONE HTC Thunderbolt.

 

[AaronEdwards]

Re-Read your Porsche history.

Your understanding of the Porsche / VW relationship is backwards. It is Porsche that owns a stake in VW, not the other way around.

Actually, they are merging, and that's because of the huge debt that Porsche got due to trying to take over Volkswagen. (BTW, the current CEO of Porsche AG is from Volkswagen, that's not generally how you do it after you've taken over another company, more like what happens when you've lost.)

 

[z3r01]

You are mocking the wrong companies. Quad Core Android phones? Tell us more about it. There are dual core phones and guess what - Apple will follow suit (with usual delay). Same goes with the cameras. Apple is lagging there too. Android phones and tablets get good stuff first (including cameras, and no, there are no Android phones with 7 cameras).

While Android phones may not be that different from each other (although physical keyboard, screen size, LTE etc. are not so small differentiators) it's still much better than iPhone situation: one model (and then a white one a year later).

Ok umm it's obvious that the examples I used was sarcasm....but all in all..yes u get cameras and far better specs...but what does that prove? Not sales really..what device has sold more then an iOS device? All together android is out there more but target one single devices sales compared to iOS...evo made more then an iOS?no...droid made more then an iOS? No...android is ok but it's not passing iOS as one device alone...it needs to desperately piggy back other manufacturers in order to do so...but tell u this..if jobs was to say he wanted other manufacturers to carry iOS , goodbye android...but it doesn't need to do that..I guarantee that in apples top "threat" chart android is not even on the list....jailbreaks are...then probably cloud based services...but android like I said isn't even on there "oh snap" list.

 

[Jett0516]

you guys are still in denial.

the fact is...most people dont want an iphone. the reports says it and the sales numbers proves it. its not about the limit availability of the iphone or contract issues...its just doesn't appeal to most people.

 

[codyc815]

However Apple lost my custom today. All these stories about putting the release date back and rumors about a 'small' update.....

Wth, Apple didn't push a release date back, there was never a release date. Just because you assume they'll introduce something the exact same time they did last year and they don't, that's not their fault.

 

[Vegasman]

And next week there will be a new survey that says the opposite. These reports are getting old. Must be a slow news day.

Unlikely...

 

[archipellago]

Actually, they are merging, and that's because of the huge debt that Porsche got due to trying to take over Volkswagen. (BTW, the current CEO of Porsche AG is from Volkswagen, that's not generally how you do it after you've taken over another company, more like what happens when you've lost.)

wanna re-check that sunshine..?

 

[codyc815]

you guys are still in denial.

the fact is...most people dont want an iphone. the reports says it and the sales numbers proves it. its not about the limit availability of the iphone or contract issues...its just doesn't appeal to most people.

That's why, although they're not the main OS used, they are the number one phone supplier

 

[SandynJosh]

did you need to use that manual to help operate the phone?

honestly I think android is just as intuitive and easy to use as ios. I can't believe people actually say they don't understand how to use android. for god sakes my 8 year old nephew figured out his dad's android phone after a 30 minutes of playing with it.

I prefer ios for it's elegance but android isn't tough to use at all...

Yes, I did need to use the Android manual... a lot!

I'll bet the 8 year-old relative figured out how to play the games, but did he add names to the address book, download photos to a computer, or set alarms and calendar events? Did he figure out how to get the phone pad to reappear when it disappeared just as he was about to enter a number?

I'm often confronted with a choice of "A" or "B" with the Android phone when I real desire is to do neither. There is no intuitive way to back out of that screen nor lead me to do what I wish.

Apple products are far more intuitive than other products. They just don't look better but the whole user experience is better.

 

[z3r01]

you guys are still in denial.

the fact is...most people dont want an iphone. the reports says it and the sales numbers proves it. its not about the limit availability of the iphone or contract issues...its just doesn't appeal to most people.

Actually it's because u can get a android cheap....

Scenario:
Customer: how much for an iPhone ?
Sales: with your credit? 500 deposit and 200 for the phone....
Customer: and that android?
Sales oh u can get that free with a co tract of 500 or u can buy the LG optimus for 140 or the G2 for 200 and prepaid service...

 

[AaronEdwards]

wanna re-check that sunshine..?

No. Why should I?

 

[lilo777]

Ok umm it's obvious that the examples I used was sarcasm....but all in all..yes u get cameras and far better specs...but what does that prove? Not sales really..what device has sold more then an iOS device? All together android is out there more but target one single devices sales compared to iOS...evo made more then an iOS?no...droid made more then an iOS? No...android is ok but it's not passing iOS as one device alone...it needs to desperately piggy back other manufacturers in order to do so...but tell u this..if jobs was to say he wanted other manufacturers to carry iOS , goodbye android...but it doesn't need to do that..I guarantee that in apples top "threat" chart android is not even on the list....jailbreaks are...then probably cloud based services...but android like I said isn't even on there "oh snap" list.

And what does that prove? It's Apple's strategy to have a single iOS phone model. If there was a single Android phone it might be doing just as well as iPhone. However, if Apple were to release, say, 20 iPhone models do you really thing they would sell 20 times more iPhones. They would not. And as far as threats are concerned, did you notice that iPhone market share actually declined? Is it not a threat?