iOS and Android Capture Combined 98.4% Share of Smartphone Market

[Sunday Ironfoot]

Wait, weren't iPhone sales 75million in Q4 2015? Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2016/01/26/q1-2016-results/

Edit: Oh wait, those were Q1 2016 which was actually for Oct/Nov/Dec 2015. These quarters have me so confused.

 

[OllyW]

Consumers don't only consider the profit a company makes when choosing a phone. There's a whole load of other criteria besides that.

This consumer would rather have the company make a smaller profit if it meant I could pay less.

 

[Mildredop]

Why are people so fixated on market share.

It was in reply to the article which is about market share.

If the race is who can sell the most units, yes android is way ahead. If the race is who can make the most profit the Android is left in the dust.

Again, this thread is in reply to the article which isn't about profit, it's about market share.

 

[igorsky]

"Well established fact?" Show me then. You are in absolute denial if you think iOS profits more than Android.

Either you're trolling, or you don't read.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/apples-share-of-smartphone-industrys-profits-soars-to-92-1436727458

 

[Tiger8]

So did iOS lose almost 3% of market share in one year? Or am I misinterpreting this?

Correct

We all laugh and joke about how Blackberry got beat by Apple 9 years ago for not recognizing the shift in market (towards touchscreen user friendly devices), but I see Apple itself facing a similar - maybe less drastic - fate.

My prediction is that with all four carriers getting out of subsidy model, iOS share will continue to fall. People are either gonna hold on to their phones longer (now that they don't have to upgrade) and/or buy cheaper devices. Android owns this market, and let me tell you, I tested a Moto E 2nd Generation for a few weeks, it's an $80 device that honestly does 75% of what my $750 iPhone 6 does without a hitch (if you don't mind the OS). Not a premium looking device by any means but it works and it works fantastic.

Now this is an extreme case, and you can argue Apple doesn't do cheap. Fine. But there are plenty of premium devices now in the $300 - $500 range in Android, what is Apple's answer to that other than old devices?

Make no mistake, Samsung is also facing this threat with their premium lines, but they can always beef up their Mid and lower end lines.

 

[Sunday Ironfoot]

This consumer would rather have the company make a smaller profit if it meant I could pay less.

This consumer would rather have the company stick around for a long time if said customer is going to invest time/money into their ecosystem long term. And also, having the company not install adware to make up for razor thin profit margins (hello Lenovo) would be nice :-D

 

[igorsky]

I'm sure you feel the same about your power company, banks, cell provider, plumber, etc.

Not sure what those entities have to do with this thread.
[doublepost=1455820959][/doublepost]

My prediction is that with all four carriers getting out of subsidy model, iOS share will continue to fall. People are either gonna hold on to their phones longer (now that they don't have to upgrade) and/or buy cheaper devices

I might have agreed with you had Apple not introduced their financing option.

 

[samcraig]

This consumer would rather have the company stick around for a long time if said customer is going to invest time/money into their ecosystem long term. And also, having the company not install adware to make up for razor thin profit margins (hello Lenovo) would be nice :-D

Pretty sure Android and iOS aren't going anywhere soon that it should cause any concern over profits.

 

[FightTheFuture]

80% share vs 17% share. I wouldn't call that a race.

Apple iPhone versus Samsung + HTC + Huawei + LG + Motorola + Sony + Xiaomi I mean Android.

Android wins!

 

[AppleScruff1]

Not sure what those entities have to do with this thread.

You said consumers should care about profits, and I'm guessing when your electric bill, gas bill, cell bill, interest rate etc goes up, you aren't cheering the companies on because they are making a good profit.

 

[KdParker]

I'm confused by the choice of headline.

When we're talking about Macs or OS X, we have articles like:

"Macs make up 11% of worldwide personal computers"

No mention of the fact that Windows is at 87%. No mention of the fact that various Linuxes and Unixes make up another 2% or so.

But when we talk about iOS, it's important to talk about the market share that everyone else has, and the fact that iOS + Android make up 98% of the market, even though nearly identical statements could be said about OS X and Windows.
[doublepost=1455811689][/doublepost]
That's because Microsoft has thrown in the towel. They're now putting their services on Android and iOS devices.

Although I feel that the move was premature. I feel like they could really use laptops running Windows 10 to sell Surface products, which could then be used to sell Windows 10 Phones.

So true.

Their Windows phone wasn't that bad. IMHO if they stuck it out and took the early lose to gain market share, they could be doing alright.

I guess the windows phone will not make this three horse race.

 

[Sill]

I know what you're trying to do here... you know, the typical 'laugh at blackberry' comment on an Apple based forum with thinly veiled arrogance behind it; LOL @ Blackberry, they still make phones!? LOL @ People who buy them from some dealer in a back alley!

Yes, there are still old BBOS phones out there. No, Blackberry is not based on BBOS anymore, it's Android. One phone or many phones, it doesn't matter.

AND NO, I'M NOT A BLACKBERRY FANBOY. I've never owned a blackberry. It's just embarrassing to see a bunch of people constantly rip on one corporation while pledging allegiance to another over a TELEPHONE. It's pathetic.

I'm wondering if you might have confused me with someone else? I didn't do anything to "rip on" BlackBerry. I have a soft spot for underdog companies, as a matter of fact. Its kind of the reason I stuck with Apple throughout the late 90s.

FWIW, the reason I stated the info about BlackBerry in the first place was due to me visiting their site a few times over the past couple days and looking at their phones. They make some really nice looking stuff, and the BB10 system doesn't turn me off. Their collaboration software looks pretty neat too, if I needed something like that. I definitely wasn't laughing at them. I'm disappointed that they decided to switch over to Android when they had a viable platform in BB10. I like nothing about Android OS (though Material Design looks a hell of a lot better than that ransom note cut out of magazine pages that was their previous look and feel.)

I like Apple a hell of a lot less than I did 5 years ago, especially with the rise of Tim Cook and their seeming abandonment of core principles.

So calm yourself.

 

[reglian]

Two things:
1- The news should really be: iOS market share is down, losing 15% from their market share they had last year. This is big for them.
2- this argument of customer choosing based in company's profitability is, in my opinion, the most ridiculous thing I have heard. I am a big Apple fan because of the design, quality, etc. etc., but not because "They make the most money out of the products I buy from them". In fact, this model of corporation success being rated based on profit is so wrong and screwing up our world so bad that there is no point in even attempting to discuss it here. But seriously, I can hear all these people saying: Damn, I am going to buy an iPhone because Apple makes so much profit. LOL

 

[billy the fish]

Since when did 17% of any market come in any category besides "other " ?

 

[OllyW]

This consumer would rather have the company stick around for a long time if said customer is going to invest time/money into their ecosystem long term.

I'd share your concerns if they weren't sitting on top of a $200 billion mountain of cash.

 

[KdParker]

So did iOS lose almost 3% of market share in one year? Or am I misinterpreting this?

Makes since.

The iPad market is stagnant and if you not stuck in the Apple eco system, the Surface Pro looks pretty good when you look at costs.

 

[Sunday Ironfoot]

You said consumers should care about profits, and I'm guessing when your electric bill, gas bill, cell bill, interest rate etc goes up, you aren't cheering the companies on because they are making a good profit.

My electric/gas company doesn't have an App Store and an ecosystem. They don't have a cloud where I keep all my personal details and files that I want them to protect at all costs. I don't sit in front of my electric/gas supplier for 8 hours a day using their software/services. They aren't barely surviving on razor thin margins forcing them to find other ways to "monetise me" through tracking my electric usage and selling it to advertisers, or installing adware in my electricity supply.

Gas/electric, cell providers, gas stations etc. are all highly commoditised. Device ecosystems are very different.

 

[69Mustang]

Not sure what those entities have to do with this thread.

They have the same relevance to this thread as your mention of profit since this is a thread about market share.
[doublepost=1455823040][/doublepost]

More profits equals more money to make better products for consumers. So consumers aren't wrong for caring about profits.

Never (hyperbole) in the history of the world has this statement been true. There's no corollary between profit and quality products. Tons of examples exist to show evidence to the contrary of your quote.

 

[kdarling]

I'd share your concerns if they weren't sitting on top of a $200 billion mountain of cash.

Moreover, any posts claiming this is good for R&D must know nothing about Apple, since they're infamous for spending so little on it.

Even now, with recent huge rises in that budget (apparently related to offshoot ideas like car engineering), it's still less than 4% of revenue, far less proportionally than most companies spend.

 

[OllyW]

Moreover, any posts claiming this is good for R&D must know nothing about Apple, since they're infamous for spending so little on it.

Even now, with recent huge rises in that budget (apparently related to offshoot ideas like car engineering), it's still less than 4% of revenue, far less proportionally than most companies spend.

It's obviously not stretching their resources as the cash pile keeps growing.

 

[Mildredop]

Apple iPhone versus Samsung + HTC + Huawei + LG + Motorola + Sony + Xiaomi I mean Android.

Android wins!

Yeah, Android wins.

The article doesn't discuss iPhone versus Android, it's iOS and Android. There's a difference between hardware and software.

 

[jamezr]

You said consumers should care about profits, and I'm guessing when your electric bill, gas bill, cell bill, interest rate etc goes up, you aren't cheering the companies on because they are making a good profit.

I am always amazed at apple fans bragging about profits. Do they really celebrate being overcharged? Do they really understand the correlation between the two?

 

[LordVic]

A lot of my coworkers rely on the tactile keyboard. Personally, I love tactile as its accurate but hate it as it takes up so much screen real estate OR it adds so much bulk in a slider factor.

Blackberry will do fine if they offer two options; one for mass market, one for niche. The phone's actually got good reviews, it can only get better from here on out with Android.

I miss the real keyboards from Blackberry. Had many prior to their shift. There is no experience close to typing on one of their keyboards.

I'd consider the Priv if it weren't $850 in Canada, and a 5.5" device.

 

[DUCKofD3ATH]

Shocks, with one being a copy of the iOS very surprising.
[doublepost=1455810166][/doublepost]
In some shady downtown areas if you know a "dealer".

But, be careful. They may follow you and beat you up for using a blackberry to begin with.

True true. You've got to be seriously out of touch to still be using a BlackBerry.

 

[Wahlstrm]

Windowsphone showed so much potential in the beginning.. Nice hardware with an interesting UI and from what I understand quite efficient and running well even on basic hardware..

But basically not a single "popular" 3rd-party app during what, the first 2 years?

Wow, nice phone, good price. Whats the catch?
-Non of your favourite apps that you spend 90% of your time in are available.
Maybe next year tho..

Seriously Microsoft..
Why didn't you just hand over a couple of million bucks to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify?
Would have saved you tons of money and the market would have som much needed competition in the mobile os department..