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

[flipperfeet]

Exactly...Show us the money

And yet the entire Android platform generates less revenue in a year than iTunes does in a single quarter.

The iPhone and iOS have never been lost leaders used to gain market share so Apple could have more eye-balls looking at search ads. Android is a trojan horse to expand PPC revenues as rapidly as possible; the public potshots about "open" and "curated" are just a distraction while Google fosters an increasingly fragmented ecosystem that encourages users to treat Android phones like disposables to be replaced with the newest shinny bobble from HTC, Motorolla, Nokia, Samsung every 8 months. The only winners in the Android hardware/OS race are the carriers and the manufacturers who can count on the vast majority of Android users to upgrade two or three times more often than iOS users, each replacement extending their contract and extracting revenue on non upgradable, but incrementally better handsets.

 

[Tones2]

What makes a product "Best" in its category is defined by different people differently. For some people "best" is a free phone because they can't afford anything else. Some people pour over the specs and select the "best".

For me, "best" is the phone that operates the most intuitively to my way of thinking. I want something that I don't need to refer back to the manual to use its features. My Android Incredible came with a 8" x 11", 73 page manual that I need to use to operate the phone... that fact speaks volumes to what separates the Android from the "best."

Oh come on. If you can't figure out how to use an Android phone in less than a minute then you have some issues. It's the same friggin thing. The reason it comes with a manual is just a reference document. Apple doesn't include one because they are too cheap to put it in the package as a printout. If you want it, here it is. All 274 pages of it!

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/iphone_user_guide.pdf

Tony

 

[ThisIsNotMe]

Android could gain the other 36% of the market and it would still make less money in a year than Apple makes off iTunes alone in a quarter.

 

[Funkymonk]

What makes a product "Best" in its category is defined by different people differently. For some people "best" is a free phone because they can't afford anything else. Some people pour over the specs and select the "best".

For me, "best" is the phone that operates the most intuitively to my way of thinking. I want something that I don't need to refer back to the manual to use its features. My Android Incredible came with a 8" x 11", 73 page manual that I need to use to operate the phone... that fact speaks volumes to what separates the Android from the "best."

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...

 

[Michael Scrip]

I'll bet you money they include Android tablets in the same chart if an Android tablet ever actually sells significant numbers. And it IS deceptive because they did not point out that the chart is completely different if you included all Apple iOS devices, whereas if you included all other Android devices besides phones the chart wouldn't change.

Yeah... who knows.

But also... who cares? Is marketshare anything more than fanboy fodder?

Apple is in the business of selling products and they are doing just that. Don't be so concerned with charts and graphs... just let Apple do what they do.

 

[gruvdone]

I love that argument - who told Apple to only make 1 phone? Nobody it was their decision. This is PC vs Mac all over again - history repeating itself.

That's a narrow and erroneous view. Are there some parallels? Sure. There are however some important differences.

First, market share is not anywhere near as important as revenue share. Apple is absolutely trouncing Google and everyone else in this area.

Second, developers are not making any money on Android, as it's user base appears to be comprised of spend-thrifts. It doesn't matter how many people you have using the platform, if developers can't sell applications that well then the lure isn't as strong. Combine that with the exceedingly frustrating fragmentation and inconsistent experience from device to device that makes the task of even writing an Android application that much harder, and it is less appealing still. Will that slow Android down? No, as there will always be customers for the Wal-Mart of mobile operating systems. It does, however limit them as any sort of real 'threat'.

Third, let us not forget that absolute whoring out of hardware at 2 or even 3 for 1 deals is a huge factor in this surge in usage. It's quite easy to inflate your numbers when you hand stuff out for free. Again, in reference to my previous point, they really aren't doing the platform any favors long term, as it will bring down the revenue curve.

Fourth, these numbers are for the US only. The worldwide picture is very different.

I can't wait to see how Steve Jobs spins this somehow at WWDC - my guess is he'll throw iPod Touches and iPads into their numbers so it doesn't look as horrible as the Nielsen chart shows.

Why wouldn't he? iPod touch and iPad run the exact same mobile OS. Just because there is no real competition to either of these devices in the Android space, doesn't devalue their presence. Truthfully, I always take a skeptical stance on the motives of any 'report' on mobile OS usage which conveniently leaves these devices out. Smacks of fomenting, it does.

Next up...tablets

Yeah, cause that's been working out really well for them so far. Look, you can have your irrational "I hate Apple cause they are cool, and I rail against anything popular, cause I'M NOT A CONFORMIST!!!" BS all you want to. It doesn't change for one second the fact that Apple innovates, and everyone else imitates and tries to make all the money they can on the back of Apple's IP.

Personally, I'd say enjoy it while you can. Apple has been establishing precedent with its patent litigation against smaller targets. Now they are taking on a medium-sized one in Samsung, and once that victory is complete, Google will be the next to fall.

Look, I'm all for good old fashioned competition. But somebody besides Apple has to step up to the plate and actually create something. This whole me-too copycat crap is wearing thin.

 

[AaronEdwards]

Right and what is your point?

If they weren't making money they would be sold off or shut down. They are high end cars sold to the rich. But let me guess you are stupid to buy an over priced Apple or iProduct right? Just like anyone that buys a BMW, Ferrari or Porsche is dumb. What is dumb is thinking one product is better than another. What is better, the iPhone, Android or a Star Tec? I guess if the only thing I want to do is make phone calls my old Star Tec is the best if it still works. My point is it depends on what your needs are.

About that guess. I didn't argue that it's dumb to buy an Apple product. Nor that it's dumb to buy a Ferrari or Porsche. Nice try.

My point was that they are now owned or mergining with other companies. Porsche had a €9 billion debt. They weren't making enough money. I bet they were worrying about the future though.

 

[Smellovision]

If it's as good as Ping, I'm IN!

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Are we going to be alerted every time one of these companies comes out with something new and surpasses the other? Is this really news anymore? Is it really a rumor about things we care about? I wonder.

 

[srathi]

Market share and product quality is not always 1:1 relationship.

You mean iPhone quality is even worse than what its 25% market share suggests??

 

[silentnite]

Competition is good , however with that being said. It's any one's game from month to month depending on how well the o.s. is developed & how often an update comes out. I'm sure apple has a lot up it's sleeve and I'm not just saying that because I own the iPhone 4. I also own a G-2 from Google.

 

[kas23]

Android could gain the other 36% of the market and it would still make less money in a year than Apple makes off iTunes alone in a quarter.

"Android" makes money? Really? Can you provide me with a link of how much Android makes?

Are we going to be alerted every time one of these companies comes out with something new and surpasses the other? Is this really news anymore? Is it really a rumor about things we care about? I wonder.

This is not a rumor. It is a fact. And yes, it does concern Apple because whatever erodes into Apple's net revenue will cause them to make a better product.

 

[pubwvj]

How odd. I know a lot of people with iPhones and absolutely nobody with an Android based phone.

One thing to keep in mind is Android is just an OS and Google makes nothing on it. Meanwhile, back on the ranch, iPhone/iOS is an entire platform and Apple makes a lot on it. Android is fragmented. iOS is unified. Android is made up of many vendors each with a much slimmer part of the pie. iOS is Apple with a huge piece of the pie. So in the end, iOS is far ahead.

Besides, there's iPad and iPad2 which makes the whole thing moot.

 

[AaronEdwards]

Yes I know that they operate under their parent group so what's your point? I salute you for having the ability to google that information.

I didn't need to google, that's something I know.

Which you obviously didn't since your argument was why Apple should worry about their market share when Ferrari and Porsche aren't. They should just continue to make exclusive products.
I bet they worried right up and until they got bought by a company that didn't worry about making cheaper products.

 

[840quadra]

I am fine with this, for the same reasons that I am happy that the Macintosh isn't the biggest platform on the desktop environment.

 

[archipellago]

Love it..

 

[Piggie]

Apple could make a whole range of phones in different sizes, from different materials at different price points.

Apple could licence iOS to others to make phones running their OS thus opening up iTunes sales to an even larger audience.

I don't expect Apple will do either.

Only in the long term future will we be able to look back to now and know if Apple did the right thing, and grew to be one of the world leaders or died a slow and painful death.

Anyone got a crystal ball, or know Dr Who?

 

[roadbloc]

Bound to happen. History repeating itself. Android or other tablet OS which works out cheaper and runs on any available hardware will overtake iOS in the tablet market eventually.

 

[fupresti]

iOS isn't losing market you morons, the market is simply expanding and Android is better positioned in their product lineup to attract a wider variety of consumer. You can buy Android phones on all four major carriers and also with companies like Boost and Cricket. We are not slicing up the same size pie, the pie is getting bigger.

I agree Apple needs to revamp iOS, but this survey doesn't indicate Apple is failing, it simply shows that more and more people are moving from feature phones to smart phones.

Quit with the fan boy tirades.

 

[BC2009]

Boy, you are sniffing a serious amount of glue. His motivation is to make brainwashed fanboys BELIEVE Apple is making the best darn tech gadgets in the world, such that Apple can make the most darn profits and he can get the biggest darn bonus. And with THAT, he is a genious.

Tony

Tony had better check the fumes in his own house. The "brainwashed fanboy" argument just keeps sounding more and more like self-deluding denial and some kind of insecurity or envy. How he could read my entire post and somehow have that sentence be the one that strikes a chord makes me think that Tony might in fact be insecure about some decision he has made. Maybe Tony is afraid that others have a different opinion than him and that somehow might diminish his opinion. Better lash out now before more people disagree -- try your best to belittle them and maybe they might agree with you instead, right? I know... accuse them of sniffing glue and being brainwashed -- that just might work.....

I am truly amazed that the wider the audience becomes for Apple products the bigger the argument for "brainwashed fanboys" gets . It's really hard to have over 200 million "fanboys" and even harder to brainwash them. If Steve Jobs could in fact accomplish that then he could rule the world. I don't think he is that good of a marketer.

Apple's target audience is not the fans, fanatics, and fanboys who post on this and other websites -- its the everyday folks who just want their tech gadgets to work without them having to think about it. It just so happens that many of the tech-savvy professionals who do real work with their computers and tech devices also like the technology to just get out of the way.

When 200 million or more people feel that your expensive tech products are the ones they want to spend their money on, then you must be doing something right -- and I don't think it is some kind of Jedi mind trick.

Clearly, Jobs wants the world to think his products are the best, but I don't think it has anything to do with money -- I think he would be done by now if it was all about money -- unless he saving up to buy something really big . There is something more personal about it to the guy -- he is way to invested in being CEO of Apple -- its seems more than a job to him, he takes things way too personally.

Personally, I think that Apple products can be beat on specific features, but when comparing the whole product (hardware, OS, software availability, ecosystem, support, ease-of-use, and integration across product-line), they get my tech-allowance money almost every time. When somebody rises up and offers me a suite of components that work better than Apple's do together then they will likely start getting my money instead -- it wouldn't be the first time I switched platforms, but currently Apple is my platform of choice.

 

[rwilliams]

Big deal. I use two platforms (Mac OS X and iOS) that aren't dominating the market, yet I feel that both have the superior user experience and the superior software. As long as both keep providing those two things, I'll be a happy customer.

 

[Kavok]

ugh! again??

Okay let's break it down per handset. 97 android phones with different versions of android (per wikipedia).. 5 different iPhones since 2007... which has greater share per handset?

Just because Android is flooding the market doesn't make it a superior mobile OS. Just one that caters to the lowest common denominator.

People I've talked to with Android-based smartphones aren't happy with the interface and some have decided to go iPhone after showing them the differences.

 

[rawknee]

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...

 

[ThisIsNotMe]

"Android" makes money? Really? Can you provide me with a link of how much Android makes?

Googles revenue from the entire Android platform is just under 1 billion dollars per yer.

On the other hand Apples revenue is 1.4 billion per quarter for iTunes alone.

 

[reyrios]

iOS needs to evolve. It is old and stale...

How terrible is the notification system? And it's been around for almost 4 years!

This is so true. Android might have its faults, but it seems years ahead of the iPhone in many areas. This is coming from an Apple fan, who at first didn't want to be rapped by AT&T's prices and bad service. So I waited 5 years until I tried an Android. I must say, is not perfect (just like the iPhone) but way more advanced. Notification, widgets, GPS, Google integration, wireless sync (to iTunes!!!!), setting profiles apps, numerous keyboards, tons of great web browsers, etc...

Apple had a great product (still is) but their go to market strategy failed. If they would have gone with 2 providers and then rolled it out to all within 3 yrs, Android would have been history.