Android Tops 50%, iOS Hits 30% in U.S. Smartphone Installed User Base

[NAG]

Phones are still being sold in the U.S with Froyo? What kind of fail is this?

Yup, no clue why someone would get this.

The old iPhones are the low-end iPhones. Same with Macs. You want a cheap, low-end Mac? Get an old one.

Apple is pretty smart; rather than making more models (which is inefficient), they allow the older ones to just be the cheap ones. This is how the >$500G company operates.

Just saying that Apple selling the 3GS is only better than the junk Android phones being sold because Apple at least keeps the 3GS up to date (although I doubt it will be supported much past iOS 6).

 

[xionxiox]

Woohoo, YAAAY ANDROID!!!

Did that just make your penis bigger?

 

[faroZ06]

I agree. I bet the pundits would be more then happy to point out that if Android had more non-phone devices running Android that they demand that they be counted under the Android numbers.

Not just that, the only thing that matters is the OS. It's not just about making a fair comparison.

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Woohoo, YAAAY ANDROID!!!

I'm betting 120 dislikes for this.

Not only are you on the wrong side, but you're on the wrong side in the wrong place.

 

[ChazUK]

Yup, no clue why someone would get this.

$99.99 for that? I've seen it all now.

Please stop it US Cellular.

 

[NAG]

Not just that, the only thing that matters is the OS. It's not just about making a fair comparison.

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I'm betting 120 dislikes for this.

Not only are you on the wrong side, but you're on the wrong side in the wrong place.

I like it when they don't count the iPad as a PC more (when clearly people are replacing laptops with them). Basically, the categories are all screwed up. And the tech press won't change them because it doesn't fit their narrative.

 

[Taz Mangus]

Yup, no clue why someone would get this.

It is even worse then that: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/04/02/sony_ics/

 

[quickmac]

It's funny HTC is so low now, they were the phones to make the first every "Google Android" phones available exclusively through T-Mobile. It was HTC and Google together and now other companies are cashing in.

I had the second generation one when it was the "MyTouch" and it was good at first but quickly started sucking. I tried two other "android" phones and they all kept crashing or just running horribly slow with glitches. Battery life was terrible and it froze all the time. I ended up going to a Blackberry but I'll probably shift to iPhone if T-Mo ever gets it.

I don't get how people use Android and actually think it's a good mobile OS. The phone makers only use it because its cheap to use, they can layer crappy UI on top to support their software, and they can give away the phones because the subsidies are probably less. And it's on like 10,000 different devices and no standard is in place for the OS itself, but free is free and people jump on that.

 

[chris7777]

What is going on with Microsoft? I assume that some of the losses from MS's side is the decrease in Windows Mobile handset sales but WP7 really needs some momentum.

Microsoft is pulling a Clark Griswold

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhlR3vidvp0&feature=related

its the same thing Palm did, when they owned the handheld market, fell asleep at the wheel, and drove clean off the map.

 

[faroZ06]

The funny thing is Google actually makes more money from iOS then it does from Android. Aw, the irony of it all.

Hahaha, but soon they won't get any from me (I'm gonna block ads to save bandwidth).

Although I'm sure Android is just part of Google's plan to get everyone under their roof.

 

[lifeinhd]

When the iPhone was introduced, Jobs said Apple's goal was to grab 1% marketshare. So I think they're doing just fine

 

[dashiel]

I agree that Android smells like poo, but the market share does matter. Sure people will be using a horrible system, but a LOT of people will be using it. Just look at Windows.

It does sort of, but so many of those Android users are zombies, I’d guess at least half. The stats that matter to me as a developer are still very heavily weighted towards iOS. Just so you don’t think I’m blowing smoke here are some numbers from this morning.

iPhone users: 14,524
iPad users: 7,888
Android users: 6,928


6,928 isn’t anything to sniff at, but it gets worse, the Samsung Galaxy S II, arguably the most popular Android phone on the market has a paltry 349 users, the iPod touch has 360, and since I can’t simply target OS versions like I can on iOS specific model breakdowns are critical.

 

[a.gomez]

1980/90s all over again - nice to see that this time around the OS that should come up on top will.

 

[MXSkier62]

What I find amazing about this is that, if I think about it, the majority of people that I know use iPhones. I have only 5 friends with android, and two want to switch back to iPhone. I know it's a really small population to look at, but does anyone have a large group of friends that they know aren't using iPhones and instead are android users?

 

[NAG]

Hahaha, but soon they won't get any from me (I'm gonna block ads to save bandwidth).

Although I'm sure Android is just part of Google's plan to get everyone under their roof.

Frankly, I would avoid ads on a mobile OS to save battery life more than anything else.

As far as Android existing, I still don't understand it (especially when Google comes out and tries to make Chrome OS). It feels like Google doesn't know what they're doing like Microsoft with music or almost anything pre-Windows Phone 7 Series Ultra Super Crazy Long Name Edition or Apple with social networks (at least they were smart enough to not buy Twitter and ruin it).

 

[tctony]

Don't know how Apple can address this. Obviously they want a higher number.

Android has the advantage because of all those crappy phones and just the sheer number of phones. Apple offering the 3GS and iPhone 4 doesn't really combat that because it isn't a different phone, it's an old version.

 

[NAG]

Obviously they want a higher number.

Actually, I'm not so sure Apple really cares that much about marketshare. They won't say, "No, we don't want you using our devices!" but I doubt they're going to do anything necessary to "win" the marketshare metric when they have the majority of the money.

 

[bharatgupta]

i still hope apple doesnt make any catastrophic mistakes that ll led winning of android os, i dislike android to every extent.

lets again hope apple doesn't take them for granted

 

[fruitycups]

Wirelessly posted

Good job android

 

[tctony]

Actually, I'm not so sure Apple really cares that much about marketshare. They won't say, "No, we don't want you using our devices!" but I doubt they're going to do anything necessary to "win" the marketshare metric when they have the majority of the money.

True about the money. Apple is clearly in a no-lose situation.

But in one of Cook's first Keynotes, he talked about wanting to grow the iPhone's market share in the overall cell phone market, which I believe he said was 5%, so it is on their minds.

 

[lifeinhd]

Don't know how Apple can address this.

Apple offering the 3GS and iPhone 4 doesn't really combat that because it isn't a different phone, it's an old version.

I think you've just answered your own question
...make different, current phones?

 

[Thunderhawks]

I'm glad someone's keeping track of these numbers, 'cause I sure don't have time to.

Plus, it makes me worried that my iphone 4S is considered a minority and inferior.

 

[adildacoolset]

Not just that, the only thing that matters is the OS. It's not just about making a fair comparison.

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I'm betting 120 dislikes for this.

Not only are you on the wrong side, but you're on the wrong side in the wrong place.

Nahh, I am at the right side. And what better place is macrumors for that?

 

[faroZ06]

I don't get how people use Android and actually think it's a good mobile OS. The phone makers only use it because its cheap to use, they can layer crappy UI on top to support their software, and they can give away the phones because the subsidies are probably less. And it's on like 10,000 different devices and no standard is in place for the OS itself, but free is free and people jump on that.

My friend just got a new Nexus after his old Droid kept glitching, pressing random buttons, and running slowly. Its music player also disappeared with some update.

His new Droid takes 1080p video with lower quality than my iPhone 4's 720p. Its battery is always depleted. Its music player has glitches. He constantly borrows my iPhone 4 to use an app that he doesn't have.

 

[firewood]

Don't know how Apple can address this. Obviously they want a higher number.

No. Actually, Apple want total profits. A lot of those Android phones go to people who don't have or spend enough money to produce a decent profit from selling them anything.

A huge portion of the population will only pay peanuts for cheap junk. It's doubtful that Apple will ever sell them anything. Some sad portion of the lower income population is not even functionally literate. My guess is that some significant portion of that 50%+ Android installed base doesn't even use their device as a smartphone, they just got it because some vendor was offering a really cheap deal that day.

 

[faroZ06]

What I find amazing about this is that, if I think about it, the majority of people that I know use iPhones. I have only 5 friends with android, and two want to switch back to iPhone. I know it's a really small population to look at, but does anyone have a large group of friends that they know aren't using iPhones and instead are android users?

Nope, pretty much everyone at my school uses an iPhone. I know only 3 Droid users, and one of them hates his Droid.

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No. Actually, Apple want total profits. A lot of those Android phones go to people who don't have or spend enough money to produce a decent profit from selling them anything.

A huge portion of the population will only pay peanuts for cheap junk. It's doubtful that Apple will ever sell them anything. Some sad portion of the lower income population is not even functionally literate. My guess is that some significant portion of that 50%+ Android installed base doesn't even use their device as a smartphone, they just got it because some vendor was offering a really cheap deal that day.

Actually, the iPhone is cheaper than an Android phone in the long run because it holds its value so well. You can sell your $200 iPhone after the 2-year contract for at least $500 (w/o contract). I just sold my 4th gen iPod touch after 2 years of use for $163.

Look for a few used Droids on eBay that also came with a 2-year contract and are being sold used w/o a contract. I found a few for $50.

Oh, and the same is true for Macs. The best thing to do is get a used but latest-model Mac every 2 years and sell your old one. The $/year to own a Mac is actually pretty low if you do that.

My iMac was my dad's old one that he got for about $1500 new I think, and we've been using it for 6 years combined. This is not good because so far, the cost has been $250/year, and it would have been better to keep buying and selling newer ones (I would also have a nicer computer at all times). I can keep it for a long time and deal with an older computer, but that would not be worth it really. I guess it's too late now; I'll use this until it breaks completely.