By “Amazing” is all I’ll say to describe Android’s continued growth worldwide. Specifically in the UK, some very impressive numbers have been posted by research group GfK. According to them, sales of Android handsets from Q1 to Q2 jumped a staggering 350%:
“The figures suggest an increasing number of consumers are now asking for Android handsets by name,” commented GfK analystMegan Baldock. “Operating Systems are no longer simply a by-product but a key selling point in their own right.”
I love how Megan put that last bit: Android’s definitely starting to become a household name. I can’t speak on behalf of the UK or other European markets (as I don’t live there) but Android has quickly become as identifiable as the likes of RIM’s Blackberry and even Apple’s iPhone OS. With continued support from HTC, Samsung, Motorola, and more major players who rely on third-party operating systems to push their mobile devices units forward, the fruit can only get more ripe from here on out.
[via EuroDroid]
this is inspite IPhone being available on all networks. way to go android. Android FTW
Fatal error: Uncaught exception ‘Doctrine_Connection_Exception’ with message ‘PDO Connection Error: SQLSTATE[08004] [1040] Too many connections’ in /home/arrowbe/public_html/handies.phandroid.com/library/doctrine/Doctrine/Connection.php:480 Stack trace: #0 /home/arrowbe/public_html/handies.phandroid.com/library/doctrine/Doctrine/Connection/Mysql.php(101): Doctrine_Connection->connect() #1 /home/arrowbe/public_html/handies.phandroid.com/library/doctrine/Doctrine/Connection.php(1008): Doctrine_Connection_Mysql->connect() #2 /home/arrowbe/public_html/handies.phandroid.com/library/doctrine/Doctrine/Query/Abstract.php(1094): Doctrine_Connection->execute(‘SELECT p.id AS …’, Array) #3 /home/arrowbe/public_html/handies.phandroid.com/library/doctrine/Doctrine/Query/Abstract.php(1142): Doctrine_Query_Abstract->_execute(Array) #4 /home/arrowbe/public_html/handies.phandroid.com/library/doctrine/Doctrine/Table.php(1479): Doctrine_Query_Abstract->execute(Array, NULL) #5 /home/arrowbe/public_html/phandroid/wp-content/plugins/handies/h in /home/arrowbe/public_html/handies.phandroid.com/library/doctrine/Doctrine/Connection.php on line 480
?
Carphone Warehouse is mega pushing android. The green guy is literally pasted all over their stores. I’m sure that helped. Sales advisors are equally echoed about android. Walked into a vodafone store and the 2 sales guys were chatting about the evo. Saying it’s the best phone out and they can’t wait till it’s available here.
A lot of my friends and their friends are asking about android, so word is getting around for sure.
All very exciting!
Carriers in the house are certainly giving more promotion to android handsets with android these days. In my town there is more space given over to them in the shop windows then the iPhone, despite most carriers having that too.
Trust me I have lived in London for nearly 20 years. I see more and more Android phones on the tube. People get bored of popular devices pretty quick over here and not everybody wants to spend an arm and a leg for an iPhone when there are better Android devices all over the place. Dont forget that most people already use LG and Samsung phones so its only natural that they follow their smartphones.
As I see it, iPhone has peaked and the dodgy antenna wont help but I dont care about Apple, more power to Andy and freedom for the people.
@ LaptuaZ
I get that error pretty frequently when viewing this site. I’m using firefox, and closing and restarting the browser seems to take care of it.
@LaptuaZ and Timmyjoe42 we appreciate you guys’ patience. We’re working diligently on getting these errors taken care of.
Increase the mysql connection limit j/k
I think the US carriers should start marking off an area in the store for Android. I bet it would help drive sales by publicizing it. Just stick the green Android over them. I can say here in the US I now can’t go to a gathering of people cannot see as many Android devices as iPhones if not more. I question though how knuckles folk are as into their Android phones as iPhone users are or Blackberry users. I think its still kinda young in that aspect.
Carphone Warehouse is really pushing it at the moment and that is surprising due to the iPhone dominance here in the UK. I am seeing more and more Android devices but we are missing out on things like the Droid X & EVO. I think that there needs to be a big worldwide release of an Android phone to create some proper awareness.
It’s only a matter of time fellow droiders!!!!!!!
@Bob. Oh the iPhone is available on all carriers over there? That would certainly put a dent in the theory that the iPhone would trump Android if it were in all carriers or at least Verizon over here.
@Phil yes that theory is nonsense. A lot of people predicted that O2 will suffer once it lost its exclusivity but that is yet to be seen as those that really wanted the iPhone already had moved to O2. I bet the same will happen in the US.
The HTC Desire is sold out in most places now. I get the feeling that the operators and their staff are not in love with Apple; if you walk into any vodafone store, they will be falling over themselves to sell you an Android phone. IMHO the iPhone has peaked and antennagate wont help.
Choice is good!!
@Phil yes that theory is nonsense. A lot of people predicted that O2 will suffer once it lost its exclusivity but that is yet to be seen as those that really wanted the iPhone already had moved to O2. I bet the same will happen in the US.
The HTC Desire is sold out in most places now. I get the feeling that the operators and their staff are not in love with Apple; if you walk into any vodafone store, they will be falling over themselves to sell you an Android phone. IMHO the iPhone has peaked and antennagate wont help.
Choice is good!!
Phandroid.com , fix your lousy db :)
Of course they want to sell an android phone! Nobody wants to pay the Apple tax. iphones price only appears reasonable because of much higher subsidies by the carrier but if they can make the case for android, you’ll get the same hardware for a much lower price.
Apple’s premium comes from the perception that it is a high end style brand. Once that goes, every smartphone will be a commodity and they will have to compete on specs and price.
What a difference 6 months makes, in January I was searching about the shops and online looking for an Android device, the Milestone to be precise. Not one of the people at any of the major retailers had any idea about Android or the Milestone. In fact one monkey even tried to sell me an iPhone, and then looked at me as if I had escaped from Carstairs when I said I wanted a Milestone. However, when I went back in to get an SD card adaptor recently, the same guy was telling people that Android was the future!
@Phil – I agree with the green Android sign in stores. There are more and more Android devices. Smartphones, tables, even the US military is incorporating the Android OS into some of their gadgets I hear. Although that may be changed to Chrome as it matures but it could turn out to be a hybrid. Oh well, I’m getting off topic. A dedicated “green” area in Fry’s, Best Buy, and RadioShack could blow the competition out of the water.
@Tochukwu – While I would like to see Android explode all over (the collective faces of iPhone users and Steve Jobs), I’m not sure you’re prediction is accurate regarding a multi-carrier deal for iPhone in America. Outside the US, people have had the benefit of unlocked phones of high quality. I don’t think the iPhone has quite the shine abroad as it does in the US (I could be wrong, it happens from time to time). You stand out in the US when you’re driving 100+mph… you don’t really stand out when doing 100+mph on the Autobahn, if you get my analogy. And there are just too many marketing sheep here!