Strategy Analytics: Android Phone Sales To Grow 900% In 2009
Tom Kang, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics:
“We forecast global Android smartphone shipments to grow an impressive 900 percent annually during 2009. The Android mobile operating system from Google gained early traction in the United States in the second half of 2008 and it is gradually spreading its presence into Europe and Asia during 2009. Android is expanding from a low base and it is consequently outgrowing the iPhone OS from Apple, which we estimate will grow at a relatively lower 79 percent annually in 2009.”
Neil Mawston, Director at Strategy Analytics:
“Android has fast been winning healthy support among operators, vendors and developers. A relatively low-cost licensing model, its semi-open-source structure and Google’s support for cloud services have encouraged companies such as HTC, Motorola, Samsung, T Mobile, Vodafone and others to support the Android operating system. Android is now in a good position to become a top-tier player in smartphones over the next two to three years.”
Lets be fair to Apple here… they shipped over 11 million iPhones in 2008 which pummels whatever Android’s final numbers were. So essentially we’re comparing a small percentage of a lot to a huge percentage of a little… calculating how it will eventually add up is anything but easy. But it looks like when all is said and done, Android will at least give the iPhone shipment numbers a run for their money if not surpass them altogether. That will depend on what Android Phones we see by year end and what new iPhone treats Apple has in store. I’m hoping for the best of both worlds.
[Via StrategyAnalytics]