Android Tops 50% Share of Smartphone Sales, But Apple Still Dominating Profits

[BaldiMac]

Are you asking sincerely? Because I thought (honestly) you were smarter than that.

I am actually asking the question. I don't appreciate your (continued) personal comments. Please stick to the topic.

The point of my question is that Apple is currently enjoying all of the benefits that one would expect of the market share leader. Profits, developer support, accessory support, etc.

 

[Oletros]

Android is, for better or worse, rapidly becoming the Microsoft Windows of the phone market. Their market share will keep going up for some time yet. The question is whether this time, Apple will be able to stay relevant instead of going into hibernation.

i don't think they would have many problems to stay relevant.

 

[Sangdushi]

This saddest part of all this is I remember a time, not too long ago, when you were considered cool having iPhones, and MacBook Pros, etc......now everyone has one.....

you wanna be the only cool kid with the shiny toy so everybody likes you?

lmao

 

[zweigand]

Royalty checks abound.

 

[samcraig]

I am actually asking the question. I don't appreciate your (continued) personal comments. Please stick to the topic.

The point of my question is that Apple is currently enjoying all of the benefits that one would expect of the market share leader. Profits, developer support, accessory support, etc.

As is Android, no? Sure they don't have THE profits of Apple - but they the phone manufacturers are definitely making money.

Greater market share also means that developers are (more) likely to distribute their applications on Android because they can get them to a wide audience.

Personally - I believe there is plenty of room in the marketplace for both iOS and other OS's/phone manufacturers which provide everyone with a choice of what they want. There's plenty of profits to go around. I don't subscribe to the notion that one company should rule them all or "kill" the competition. Quite silly.

Finally - feel free to stop trying to dictate what people post or don't post on the thread. Comments like "stick on topic" are unnecessary unless you want me and others to start policing your every post to for relevance. Thought not.

 

[Stella]

Oh dear, another lame pissing contest over iOS vs Android...

People buy what they need. If people prefer Android phones they'll buy an Android phone. OTOH, if people want an Apple device they'll go for an iPhone. Or whatever device / manufacturer they like, be it Nokia, HTC, SonyEricsson^H^H^H^H^H^H, I mean Sony!

The two OSes are damned good at what they set out to be - a smartphone OS. All have their strengths, and their weaknesses.

 

[jhende7]

Not exactly....

Android is obviously an excellent platform if over 50% of smartphones are shipping with it. The hardware providers wouldn't be using it otherwise.

Just because something sells well doesn't instantly give it a gold seal of absolute quality.

Look at all the crappy computers Dell was selling a few years ago and still, to a degree, does today. Look at all the phones that were loaded with crappy OSs like Windows Mobile or BlackBerry OS just few years ago.

The Hardware providers don't have a choice, but to ship with Android, seeing as it's the only non-iOS system that as any kind of developer support behind it.

Not to mention Google gives it away for free.

Quality does not equal quantity.

 

[Stella]

Look at all the phones that were loaded with crappy OSs like Windows Mobile or BlackBerry OS just few years ago.

Who is to say they are crap? If they did what the buyer wanted them to do - then they can be considered "Good". Fit for purpose.

Other smartphone OSes have come to market that people prefer to buy..

 

[samcraig]

Not to mention Google gives it away for free.

Yes - but in reality - most handset manufacturers aren't getting it free.

Google makes money by licensing the Google Apps that come on most Android phones (but not all). Apps like Gmail, the Android Market, Google Search, and others come in something called GAPPS.

So yes - the OS is free - but that's not the whole picture.

 

[ThanksSteve]

In other words, Google will allow for Android to be in any mobile even if it's junk.

 

[Oletros]

Not to mention Google gives it away for free.

Yap, Google gives away for free Android, but they license Google Apps

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

It always puzzles me when apple fanboys get defensive about who leads a market (them not being the one) and then scream, "But we own everyone in profits". Most rational people would see that as a group of people collectively overpaying for something and actually enjoying doing so. If there weren't fanboys, apple would have to start it's own wireless carrier. Because the existing ones have a much smaller margin on iPhone vs. others.

 

[mijail]

This saddest part of all this is I remember a time, not too long ago, when you were considered cool having iPhones, and MacBook Pros, etc......now everyone has one.....

So would that cool people please leave the building now? It'd be interesting to see what the result is.

 

[justperry]

i love iOS 5 but hopefully Apple can revamp the UI in the next iteration.
I think ICS will force their hand a little.

Why change a winner, do you think it can be much better than it is now?

My opinion is that they can't make it much better than it is where it is now.
Look what they did with OSX, Lion sux and I for one won't like it if they **** up the iPhones UI.

 

[gnasher729]

Android is obviously an excellent platform if over 50% of smartphones are shipping with it. The hardware providers wouldn't be using it otherwise.

Maybe it is because the best operating system, as proved by having the largest amount of profit, isn't available for sale to them?

It always puzzles me when apple fanboys get defensive about who leads a market (them not being the one) and then scream, "But we own everyone in profits". Most rational people would see that as a group of people collectively overpaying for something and actually enjoying doing so.

That wouldn't be rational people. Rational people would know that nobody overpays and enjoys it, so it is very obvious to any rational person that this is not why people buy iPhones or Apple products. If you look a bit closer, you'll find for example that Macs are high quality products that Apple's competitors cannot match at the same price, even though Apple sells at some excellent profit. And the same with iPads, where Apple is not beaten on price by anyone, and still manages to make profits where others don't. And the same with phones, where Apple owns the high end market where the profits are.

And I despise the Android fanboys getting passive-aggressive and claim that rejecting their nonsense is some a sign of being a "fanboy" and being "defensive".

 

[Oletros]

Maybe it is because the best operating system, as proved by having the largest amount of profit, isn't available for sale to them?

Now amount of profits equals better?

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

Now amount of profits equals better?

In apple's world, yes. That's all that matters.

 

[rmwebs]

Just because something sells well doesn't instantly give it a gold seal of absolute quality.

Look at all the crappy computers Dell was selling a few years ago and still, to a degree, does today. Look at all the phones that were loaded with crappy OSs like Windows Mobile or BlackBerry OS just few years ago.

The Hardware providers don't have a choice, but to ship with Android, seeing as it's the only non-iOS system that as any kind of developer support behind it.

Not to mention Google gives it away for free.

Quality does not equal quantity.

You know, you're right...look at Mac sales vs PC sales. The mac is clearly a huge failure based on your logic.

The stats provided show that 50% of consumers chose Android over iOS. I'm the first to say that this is probably due to price over performance, however Android would have had to be good enough otherwise people simply wouldn't bother.

As another user said, people make the choice, not the developers. Its a 50/50 match, air go based solely on the factual statistics, both are excellent platforms and clearly do what they say on the tin. Obviously both have flaws, but that wasn't what I (nor the stats) were looking at.

Oh, and the whole android experience is certainly not free. Google make a hell of a lot of money from licensing the use of GAPPS (which nearly ALL hardware devs are tied into as its in their interest to ship it).

 

[milo]

Not surprised. I don't think iPhone will start going way up in marketshare until there are more affordable options, particularly off contract (the 3GS at $349 when the iPod touch that's superior in many ways is $199 is just silly). Even more so, when it's available on plans that are competitive (which in the US probably means when it's available on all carriers). I wouldn't be surprised if iPhone ends up with stronger marketshare overseas than in the US based on the choices of carriers and much cheaper plans for it.

With the iPods apple was able to be price competitive with the alternatives and still make a ton of profit. Some of the macs are competitive as well, particularly the laptops. I don't see why the same shouldn't be true for their phones - for a while they could pretty much charge whatever they wanted but we've reached the point where they need to get their pricing more competitive and up their product even more to justify the price. Both hardware and software.

 

[D4F]

Well, this only makes sense. I know so many folks that buy a Samsung or HTC, then look at my iPhone and say, "Wow, your phone works!".

And then you woke up.

 

[mantan]

It always puzzles me when apple fanboys get defensive about who leads a market (them not being the one) and then scream, "But we own everyone in profits". Most rational people would see that as a group of people collectively overpaying for something and actually enjoying doing so. If there weren't fanboys, apple would have to start it's own wireless carrier. Because the existing ones have a much smaller margin on iPhone vs. others.

It's the same psychological phenomenon you see in sports of 'Basking in Relflected Glory' that you see in sports. Fanboys see Apple winning as 'them' winning.

They completely miss the point that overpaying for a product and filling Apple's coffers to an embarrassing level doesn't benefit them as a consumer.

At best they'll give some lame excuse that this allows Apple to continue to innovate...even though they out innovate anybody with 20% of the cash they have on hand.

The best thing for consumers is strong competition. The iP4 came about because Android was considered an emerging threat. Before that people were begging for cut and paste, MMS and a usuable camera....stuff other devices had but Apple wouldn't give us...

 

[mkrishnan]

i don't think they would have many problems to stay relevant.

Oh, I don't think so either. Don't get me wrong -- I love my iPhone and am happy that Apple is succeeding in this market. My point is that, if Apple can maintain the fantastic profitability that they have now as well as the level of developer buzz (and consumer willingness to use/pay for what developers make), Apple will stay relevant even though Android's market share is likely to end up pretty high.

But, I'm not sure I would not have predicted what happened to Apple in the 1990s back in 1985.... It's conceivable that Apple could "screw up" and cause developers to ditch in favor of Android, which would have the same kind of catastrophic effect it did the last time around.

Hopefully that won't happen.

 

[spazzcat]

good now apple can stop being lazy and release a new phone. going the "but it sells anyway" route wont work forever and they better realize it before its too late. now u can vote me down whatever

Not sure why anyone would have expected anything else then these numbers for Q3? Apple didn't have have a new phone for over a year. 4Q will be much more interesting.

 

[rmwebs]

Maybe it is because the best operating system, as proved by having the largest amount of profit, isn't available for sale to them?

Or maybe some people genuinely prefer Android, or is that an impossibility?

I'm not going to bring up silly comments involving the word 'fanboy' as I find it pathetic, but your post gives the impression that you think that everyone who owns an Android phone wants an iPhone but cant afford it or cant get it where they are. If thats truly your view then you have a problem.

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

Maybe it is because the best operating system, as proved by having the largest amount of profit, isn't available for sale to them?




That wouldn't be rational people. Rational people would know that nobody overpays and enjoys it, so it is very obvious to any rational person that this is not why people buy iPhones or Apple products. If you look a bit closer, you'll find for example that Macs are high quality products that Apple's competitors cannot match at the same price, even though Apple sells at some excellent profit. And the same with iPads, where Apple is not beaten on price by anyone, and still manages to make profits where others don't. And the same with phones, where Apple owns the high end market where the profits are.

And I despise the Android fanboys getting passive-aggressive and claim that rejecting their nonsense is some a sign of being a "fanboy" and being "defensive".

Wow, just wow.