Android Smartphone Share Outnumbers iPhone by More than Three-to-One
Android Smartphone Share Outnumbers iPhone by More than Three-to-One
Posted 11/15/2011 at 9:09am
| by Paul Lilly
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It may have once seemed inconceivable that Google's Android platform could not only catch up with iOS, but surpass it, however now it seems equally unlikely that iPhones will ever again outnumber Android smartphones. To wit, Android smartphones now lead iOS smartphones (iPhone devices) by a measure of more than three-to-one, according to data provided by market research firm Gartner.
Android smartphone sales totaled more than 60 million in the third quarter of 2011, giving Google's open source platform a 52.5 percent share of the market. Apple, meanwhile, shipped around 17.3 million iPhones in the same period, an annual increase of 21 percent, but down almost 3 million units from Q2, Gartner says. Apple's iOS market share is 15 percent, in third place behind Symbian (16.9 percent) and Android, and ahead of RIM (11 percent), Bada (2.2 percent), and Microsoft (1.5 percent).
"Android benefited from more mass-market offerings, a weaker competitive environment and the lack of exciting new products on alternative operating systems such as Windows Phone 7 and RIM," said Roberta Cozza, principal research analyst at Gartner. "Apple's iOS market share suffered from delayed purchases as consumers waited for the new iPhone. Continued pressure is impacting RIM's performance, and its smartphone share reached its lowest point so far in the U.S. market, where it dropped to 10 percent."
Consider this the upside to Android's fragmentation downside. There's no doubt that by having so many manufacturers build Android devices, Google's platform is well positioned to keep growing, and in fact more than doubled its market share since the third quarter of 2010.
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ikleinit
November 16, 2011 at 1:18pm
Evertime they post an Android device percentage , the comments turn into Android vs iOS , they are very both good , it's like comparing chocalate chip to chocolate fudge , they are both good for mobile computing and apps. It comes down to a preference & a mater of taste.
furiousdc
November 15, 2011 at 2:05pm
I've been locked in a contract so I'm still carrying around an HTC Hero, yes it's very sad. But I'm upgrading soon and if iphone had 4g i would get one, but alas they don't. I'm eyeing the Motorola Photon.
blkpanthr
November 15, 2011 at 2:58pm
I loved my hero, god rest his soul...just retired him in september for a 3VO..
firefox91
November 15, 2011 at 11:16am
I just got my first Android device this past weekend, a Droid Bionic. I cannot believe how phenominal this thing is. I aslo can't believe I waited this long to get one. I just dumped my POS Blackberry for good. RIM will be out of business within a few years, count on it. Apple? I will never own one of their products. Overpriced, overhyped, and falling behind the times.
furiousdc
November 15, 2011 at 2:02pm
I can understand not wanting an iphone but everytime I heard someone say overpriced it just makes me think your not really smart. your droid bionic costs as much if not more than an Iphone. So if you don't want one just say I hate apple but don't make silly statements.
CaptainFabulous
November 15, 2011 at 9:57pm
Most Android phones are around $500 if bought without a contract. The iPhone 4S is almost $800. So yeah, I'd say it was overpriced. What would you call more than a 50% price premium?
EducationalGeek
November 15, 2011 at 10:29am
Of course they do you moron, I still don't know why people even try to make this comparison. Android is on how many phones? A crapload. Do they all work great......NO! How many iphone models are there? 5...
When you put your OS on tons of devices and then brag about having share you just make yourself look stupid. Android is far from polished and won't be until they stop putting it on crappy devices across multiple hardware.
firefox91
November 15, 2011 at 11:11am
There is an app.. er forum.. for that.
http://www.maclife.com/
Apple fanboy.
Wingzero_x
November 16, 2011 at 8:59am
So just because he states the obvious he's a fanboy?
Not saying iOS is the greatest, or Android is trash, but I felt more restricted on my Android (Acer Iconia) tablet, and because of which I bought an iPad. And so you know I was not a big fan of the iPad either,( the phone OS, no USB, no Flash...etc) but it seemed to have the functions I wanted, and that was to draw, read, surf the net, watch movies, and hockey. While the Android did all of that there was a few hiccups. As (at the time) the Iconia did not support Netflix (on Honeycomb 3.2) without some mumbo-jumbo witchcraft hackery being done.
That being said do I think Android is terrible? No. It's actually pretty good. Is iOS the best? No. However that doesn't mean that there isn't a lot of junk devices that somebody slapped Android in. That however is not Androids fault.
As a disclaimer I will say I am a graphic artist/designer, a Mac fan, and do think many (not all) of Apple's products are well designed, and worth the premium, but that doesn't mean I don't like building my Windows gaming rigs, or even an HTPC, or even recently building my first home server (running Windows Home Server), and even kick the tires on the alternative OSes every once in awhile.
AntonioGarrison
November 15, 2011 at 11:10am
Well if Apple had their way only one company would sell you all your needs. Apple. Apple has everything made in the "walled garden of apple". So from a Economic point of view where there might be 20 companies being used by Apple to make theirApple only products, Microsoft and Google actually offer any company to use their product, which is thousands if not more companies.
If you think that all the Android phones are crap, I think you need to look at your Iphone with all its hardware issues and software issues. A hold it the wrong way antenna problem, A battery issue where your battery drains in an hour, a yellow screen being produced randomly on your Iphone, your phones mic stops working, random freezes or shutdowns or even unknown error (-50).
For a company who makes everything by themselves and doesn't allow anyone else to do anything with it, you have alot of problems yourself. Don't bark up a tree unless you have facts to back it up. Everyone has their fair share of problems including your beloved Apple. Apple just tells you to hold it a different way... other companies fix it.
EducationalGeek
November 16, 2011 at 1:21pm
Really, you're going there?
Android has just as many problems if not more (look it up) because of the varying hardware devices. The iphone yeah had a few. I've owned an Android device (Galaxy S) and yes it had problems. Wait....ummm let's see.......didn't they fix the antenna issue.....oh yeah they did...would all the Android phone manufacturers have recalled their phones because of it.......Nope...they would have told you the same thing. I may be barking but you're whimpering...
Maybe you should go check out this link http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/list once you read through the 14,000 or so pages then come back and talk about iPhone issues.
Done..and yes I stuck the fork in you.
furiousdc
November 15, 2011 at 2:08pm
Vast majority of normal consumers like apples "walled garden" They buy an apple product and it works with their other apple products. It's simple and easy to use. Get apple tv and wirelessly stream movies from your iphone or ipad with barely any configuration.
Everyone's jumping up and down about Amazon's Fire and it is a "walled Amazon forest" but no one seems to be complaining about that.
CaptainFabulous
November 15, 2011 at 9:55pm
Well obviously they don't since the vast majority of phones are Android, not iPhones.
yu119995
November 15, 2011 at 10:09am
I'm a very happy Android user of two years now. This Milestone (Droid in the US) is nearing the end though. Time for an upgrade. Nexus, here I come.
gmvolk
November 15, 2011 at 9:26am
Don't plan on getting a smart phone anytime soon, but I would for sure go Android over any of the others. I won't buy Apple since I for one don't like Apple, and two don't want to be told what I can or can't intall on it. Microsoft phones seem appealing, but after they dropped Kin(I think was the name?) after such a short time, plus the Zune(well that lasted awhile) I wouldn't feel it would be worth it. Never considered RIM or Symbian, and never heard of Bada.
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