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New York - Android Extends Dominance In Smartphones Worldwide

Published on: August 8, 2012 05:29 PM
By: AP
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New York -  Got an iPhone? You’re in the minority.

There were four Android phones for every iPhone shipped in the second quarter, research firm IDC said Wednesday. That’s up from a ratio of 2.5 to 1 in the same period last year.

The success of Samsung’s Android phones helped Google’s operating system extend its dominance in the smartphone market.

Samsung Electronics Co. and other phone makers shipped nearly 105 million Android smartphones in the April-June quarter, giving Android 68 percent of the worldwide market, up from 47 percent last year.

The gains came largely at the expense of BlackBerry phones made by Research in Motion Ltd. and Symbian phones made largely by Nokia Corp. Each saw its market share drop below 5 percent. Nokia is now making phones that use Microsoft Corp.‘s Windows system.

The market share for Apple Inc.‘s iPhone, powered by its iOS software, fell slightly to 17 percent, from 19 percent. But the company shipped more iPhones than a year ago. Apple is the No. 2 smartphone maker, behind Samsung, and is likely to get a boost when it releases its new iPhone model as expected this fall.

Samsung’s Galaxy S III phone received good reviews when it was released late in the second quarter. It also benefits from the company’s strategy of making various devices that target a range of consumers. By contrast, Apple targets only the high-end market with its iPhone.

According to IDC, Samsung accounted for 44 percent of all Android phones in the second quarter and shipped more Android phones than the next seven Android phone makers combined. HTC Corp. and Motorola Mobility, which Google now owns, are among the other Android makers.

IDC estimates that Samsung shipped 50.2 million smartphones in the quarter, though that includes a few million phones running the Bada system based on Linux. Apple shipped 26 million iPhones.

Worldwide smartphone shipments grew 42 percent to 154 million in the second quarter. Combined, Android and Apple had 85 percent of the market, up from 66 percent a year ago.

“The mobile OS market is now unquestionably a two-horse race due to the dominance of Android and iOS,” said Kevin Restivo, a senior research analyst at IDC.

But it’s still possible for rivals to gain share since smartphones represent fewer than 40 percent of all cellphones shipped in the quarter. But, Restivo said in a statement “such efforts will become increasingly difficult as smartphone penetration increases.”

Microsoft and RIM are both coming out with new versions of their operating systems — Windows in October and BlackBerry early next year. The share of Windows phone grew to 3.5 percent, from 2.3 percent, in the latest quarter, largely because of its adoption by Nokia. Windows was the fifth-largest phone operating system but was gaining on No. 3 BlackBerry and No. 4 Symbian.




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Read Comments (9)  —  Post Yours »

1

 Aug 08, 2012 at 06:14 PM proudjewboy Says:

Go android! Just wish they should push out every new update to all devices. Just like apple. Without having to wait for the carrier to update /or flash custom rom's. I am still waiting for gingerbread! !

2

 Aug 08, 2012 at 07:43 PM RobertS Says:

Nobody ever says, "I want an Android phone" like "I want an iPhone". iPhone is the top selling phone and that's why Android phones are are always measured by the iPhone.

3

 Aug 08, 2012 at 09:37 PM yoyoyo Says:

I have a droid and let me tell you this before my battery di

4

 Aug 08, 2012 at 11:42 PM proudjewboy Says:

The advantage of having a android phone is that u can get almost every paid app for free!! Without altering the software !Unlike iphone which u have to jailbreak. I assume u are familiar how to get apps 4 free but if not. Feel free to ask

5

 Aug 09, 2012 at 04:18 AM benny45 Says:

Reply to #2  
RobertS Says:

Nobody ever says, "I want an Android phone" like "I want an iPhone". iPhone is the top selling phone and that's why Android phones are are always measured by the iPhone.

Did you just read the same article I did?

6

 Aug 09, 2012 at 05:12 AM Ploni Says:

Reply to #4  
proudjewboy Says:

The advantage of having a android phone is that u can get almost every paid app for free!! Without altering the software !Unlike iphone which u have to jailbreak. I assume u are familiar how to get apps 4 free but if not. Feel free to ask

"I assume u are familiar how to get apps 4 free but if not. Feel free to ask ”

Nu??

7

 Aug 09, 2012 at 02:21 PM LuckyStrike Says:

I like my rotary phone. It is a pleasure to turn the dial.

8

 Aug 09, 2012 at 04:36 PM ShmuelG Says:

There is a good reason for iPhone's changing fortunes, as a matter of fact the bet of reasons: my Galaxy SIII makes iPhone look and feel very poor. And it's not even $G, the network that's been available for couple of years now. Yes, the new iPhone is likely coming out this fall, and it may even be 4G, but from everything I've read, it's not going to be close to match better Android phones, certainly not latest Samsung, Motorola and HTC. And iOS will forever remain inferior to Google.

True, some people who don't understand technology still consider iPhone to be some kind of standard, but there are fewer and fewer of them, most likely because even people who don't understand technology can still try out other phones, and once your compare their look, feel, functionality and speed, the iPhone inevitably loses.

Every dog has its day, the day of BlackBerry long since ended, and the sun is going down on iPhone.

9

 Aug 09, 2012 at 07:14 PM proudjewboy Says:

Reply to #6  
Ploni Says:

"I assume u are familiar how to get apps 4 free but if not. Feel free to ask ”

Nu??

my reply didn't get posted. don't know why. I will try again later. if u want u can post ur email address so I could email you.

10

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