By Yep, it’s still number season, folks. Gartner’s back at it again with some smartphone sales figures from quarter one of 2011. Android, as you might have imagined, is rocking the charts leading every smartphone operating system in market share with 36%, an improvement over the 9.6% they held the same quarter just a year ago. They beat Symbian who is set to fall after Nokia dumped them for Microsoft and after other manufacturers have looked to Android for their future.
Gartner says Android is poised to see tremendous growth in 2011 as OEMs look to fight for that mid-tier smartphone range that Nokia and other Symbian users are giving up. Android is already doing great when it comes to mid-tier offerings and Symbian’s decline will surely accelerate that.
And that will contribute to Gartner’s original prediction of Android becoming the number one smartphone OS overall by 2016. Or was it 2015? 2014? Yea, it seems like the timeline gets shorter and shorter as the months move on. Take a look at the chart above for the full breakdown.
How can this be? Every fanboi I talk to says iOS is leading worldwide!
I just can’t wait until iOS is on every carrier, once that happens those stupid fanboys can shut up and stop saying that it would be the largest OS if it were on every carrier. Little do they know that it is that way in other countries besides the US.
Go Android!!!
Yeah it soo true. All the apple fanbois said that when the iphone went to Verizon it would spell doom for android, look at us now. The Verizon iphone didn’t even make a dent!
And actually the iPhone for AT&T if I recall correctly sold more units than the Verizon version the first quarter of having them on sale
It is my belief that you are comparing apples (no pun intended) to oranges. In Verizon’s Q1 sales report they activated 2.2 million iPhone 4s in 7 weeks. By contrast At&t’s Q1 sales report (12 weeks) said that they activated 3.6 million iPhones (3GS and 4). Until the iPhone 3GS disappears and we get the FULL quarter sales data of both parties nobody can truly know what kind of impact the Verizon iphone 4 will have on ATT iphones and android sales for that matter.
My humble opinion…
What seems to have happened is that when iPhone went to Verizon, AT&T suddenly lost its religion about iPhone and got behind Android. So it seems.
Nothing like losing exclusivity on a device that comes in only one size, one shape, one color. How do you differentiate it and sell it? You can’t.
So you start pushing Android which you can differentiate. You can get carrier specific versions of Android phones — even if they are little different from similar devices on other carriers. Example: Samsung Captivate. It’s a Galaxy S phone for AT&T.
It depends how you look at it. Yes, android (as a platform) sales are dominating iOS; however, no single OEM has dominated the iphone on phone (hardware) sales. At least not to my knowledge, I could be wrong though…
I must say I’m not surprise by this figures. We are talking about 2 phones ( iphone 3GS and iphone 4) against tenths (if not hundreds; don’t know the exact number) of android power phones. It was bound to happen…
That’s because to buy into the iOS ecosystem you can only purchase one phone. If Apple offered iPhones of different screen sizes, different re-badged versions for every carrier and keyboard variants, the overall market share numbers would still look similar. People buy iPhones for the ecosystem and operating system which is why they can have a single phone that sells so well sincethere is no other choices if you enjoy that ecosystem and already own parts (Macs, iPods, etc.)
Touché. However, on my personal experience I know of at least 10 people that will leave their much loved android phones for an iphone, if the iphone would offer an physical keyboard (granted, I don’t think anybody can truly extrapolate and feasible statistical analysis from my 10 friends….but you get my point). I believe the gap between Android and iOS platform would be MUCH smaller (if any) if iPhones came in all sizes and flavors as Android phones.
That kind of proves the point though. An iPhone w/ a keyboard? That would be choice… and that’s not Apple’s business model. That’s the path to fragmentation. Next would be the iPhone with the big display. Multiple handset models could very well cannibalize their own sales and then the “1 handset dominating all others” line might not be so distinct. Plus, that adds production costs, price variations. Apple’s “simplicity” goes out the window then.
Maybe, maybe not. People said the same about the Verizon iPhone toppling Android dominance but that hasn’t really played out either.
Don’t ever count on that to happen. Apple DID that long ago with the Macs. SJ thinks people are just too stupid to have many choices. So he shifted into KISS mode, giving you less and stayed there.
That is exactly how it was with the Mac vs PC back in the day. PC’s as a platform (actually Windows) dominated. But any single PC manufacturer would have killed to be as big as Apple.
Apple spun out a $10 Billion software subsidiary — Claris, which alone was bigger than many PC manufacturers.
My those were the days.
This is how I see the Android vs. iOS. Apple may have a sizable ecosystem, but it will be overshadowed by Android. Some developers can make a decent living just in the Apple ecosystem — and there’s nothing wrong with that. But Android will dominate. That Android logo (if not already) will become every bit as common and recognizable as the Windows logo is today.
You are dumb or what???? its not oem wars. We are talking about os share.
If you are inferring to my level of ignorance about this topic I can assure you I’m VERY ignorant indeed. I was just providing my opinion. However, I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear enough in my above opinion posting. When I referred to the OEMs I was not implying that this is a “OEM wars” I was just pointing out the obvious disadvantage apple has over the other OEMs. It has one phone (technically two if you want be anal about it) and it seems to be outselling everyone.
I don’t know if you are aware of this or not but unfortunately, the OS needs to come in some sort of hardware (i.e.: phones, laptops, tablets, etc) in order for us (the consumers) to interact with it. Therefore, when consumer report companies like “Gartner” talk about OS share technically they are also talking about hardware share (even if they don’t actually say it).
My humble opinion of course…
now that i got my google music invite i love my android device even more. no more worrying about carrying around my music anymore
Nice! Haven’t gotten mine yet, but have been using Amazon Cloud Player in the meantime. It’s pretty awesome.
Hey get an iPhone it gets even better! Right Iking? Riiiight
These are some impressive numbers given that android is still relatively young. http://www.googleappssouthafrica.co.za/
When companies figure out ho to increase the production of tablets, android numbers will go up higher.
You guys forgot to mention that Windows Phone 7 sold 1.6 Million phones, outsold by Windows Mobile 6.5, ha ha ha ha. I wonder how those figures factor into WP7 dominating in 2015, a prediction by Gartner.
Where’s the iKing?
You fandroids really think I’m afraid of you??? (Yawn) here we go again:
Report: Apple Makes More on the iPhone Than Google Makes as a Whole
http://nexus404.com/Blog/2011/04/12/apple-makes-more-on-iphone-than-google-makes-as-a-whole-fortune-magazine-points-out-that-googles-revenues-cant-compare-to-what-the-iphone-makes-apple-does-this-settle-android-vs-iphone/
When you make nearly twice as much money from ONE PRODUCT as your main competitor with all of their “marketshare” makes in their ENTIRE COMPANY, how important do you really think marketshare is to them?
Apple could very easily attain #1 marketshare. But to do that, they would have to dive into the bottom end of the market and makes cheap phones with little to no profit margin. And that’s a place that I believe Apple has no desire to go. Kinda like the whole netbook craze. They sold a ton of netbooks bcuz they were inexpensive (read: cheap) but nobody made any money off them. So if you have high marketshare and little to no profit, what exactly is the point????
Same goes for Android. OEM’s that use Android couldn’t compete with Apple on the high end, so they dove head first into the low end and made cheap phones like the Motorola Citrus and the Lg Optimus. And that’s where they captured the lead (there are now over 200+ Android phones on the market compared to just 2 from Apple). It also didn’t hurt that you had a major carrier like Verizon giving Android phones away with BOGO deals, and places like Wirefly and Amazon.com where you can get an Android phone for 1 cent. So do I think that Apple would like the marketshare lead? Of course, if for no other reason than it gives Steve Jobs something to brag about. Looking at the conpany’s bottom line, do I think they lose sleep over it????? Nah…..
Once again the same old argument about profit. Yawn.
Once again the same old argument about marketshare. Yawn.
You need to come up with some new lines. We get tired of reading the same garbage over and over.
Yeah….like the “marketshare” line…..pure garbage
Your blind devotion to Apple is pathological. See a psychiatrist…I’m sure they can be you a med for that.
Bigger marketshare means more people are buying your products and you are attracting more new users or wooing away users from the competition. So yes, it’s definitely important.
And while on the low end, the margins aren’t high for the manufacturers, it still means increased ad revenue for Google.
And all of that ad revenue still can come close to Apple:
http://nexus404.com/Blog/2011/04/12/apple-makes-more-on-iphone-than-google-makes-as-a-whole-fortune-magazine-points-out-that-googles-revenues-cant-compare-to-what-the-iphone-makes-apple-does-this-settle-android-vs-iphone/
Touché….
The sucks when you’re losing it…. again!
Sucks when the company you’re beating in “marketshare” still makes almost twice as much money as you do….
why do u post “lol”s and “yawn” in ur messages as if you dont care. u mad bro. u mad.
“Looking at the conpany’s bottom line, do I think they lose sleep over it????? Nah….”.
Yet Mr. Jobs seems to be all worked up, lest you forget?
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/01/googles-dont-be-evil-mantra-is-bullshit-adobe-is-lazy-apples-steve-jobs/
Talk about the “prestige” of being on top all you want. But at the end of the day, that’s not all the smartphone market is. So what if the low-end devices aren’t as glamorous as the iPhone? People still want/need them. Android is willing to go where Apple isn’t and you can’t fault them for their success.
Im sorry, but i must have missed the part in the article where Steve Jobs expresses his desire to be the leader in marketshare. Like ive stated, because of their unwillingness to manufacture cheap garbage phones, Apple never has and probably never will be the marketshare leader….
Neither low or high end Android phones are as glamorous as the iPhone. I also question the “success” of a business venture if it isn’t profitable….maybe you have a different reason for being in business…
It’s true that he doesn’t. I was only replying to the quoted part of your post. It does seem that Mr. Jobs is losing some sleep over Android’s success.
If he was truly as confident as you say, then there wouldn’t have been a need for his yelling spree. It’s plain as day that Android’s success is aggravating him (and it seems you), as most iFans said 2 years ago that Android wouldn’t last.
“Neither low or high end Android phones are as glamorous as the iPhone”
That is a completely subjective sentence. If it were a universal fact, then people wouldn’t be buying Android phones. Of all the ones that bought a high-end Android phone where the iPhone is available proves that. Obviously they found reason that their Android phone was better than the iPhone.
“I also question the “success” of a business venture if it isn’t profitable….maybe you have a different reason for being in business…”
Who said it wasn’t profitable? While Apple is making the lion’s share of the profits, NONE of the Android manufacturers are losing money using Android. In fact, they’re posting record profits quarter after quarter. Just look at HTC and Motorola.
I agree that the glamor statement is totally subjective….to each his own I suppose….
And let me clarify: my comments concerning profitability were aimed at phones at the low end if the market, not Android phones in general. There is simply no real money to be made at the low end, which is why Apple has stayed away from there. U was not suggesting that NO Android phones are profitable
“There is simply no real money to be made at the low end, which is why Apple has stayed away from there”
LOL, the iPhone 4 is ‘low end’ by today’s standards. Where’s iPhone 5?
“LOL, the iPhone 4 is ‘low end’ by today’s standards. Where’s iPhone 5?”
This from the owner of a Samsung Galaxy Turd….quite possibly the most colossal POS ever assembled….
And also, I think what aggravates Steve Jobs the most about Android is not that it’s a viable competitor, but rather that Google-sized knife that Eric Schmidt put in his back when he was sitting on Apple’s board of directors while at the same time plotting the launch of a rival operating system
Yet another, baseless talking point that fanbois kick around.
OMFG! HE was on the BOARD! Shhhh! HE was a SPY! Oh Noes! THERE, sitting in the corner all google-eyed, learning, planning, plotting…slowing spinning his web…
dude, Eric Schmidt wanted to leave Apple board for a long time, he excused himself from board meetings when IPhones were discussed, don’t parrot stuff that is circulated on apple fan blogs and fan sites by uninfomed idiots. Give proof that Eric Schmidt stole ideas. If Eric Schmidt did steal stuff from Apple, why hasn’t Apple sued him, do you know that Oracle has sued SAP CEO for stealing stuff. Somebody give iKing a rattle, android is winning, Eric stole ideas waaah….., business world is not cut out for you. Apple should actually be thankful towards Google, if not for android, all the OEMs/carriers would have been cranking out WP7 handsets and PC/Mac would have repeated, atleast now we have a three way race.
Steve jobs is too smart to get stabbed in the back
Wow, you’re getting right up there with some of those conspiracy theories!
You’re really getting desperate.
“You fandroids really think I’m afraid of you??? (Yawn) here we go again:”
Your not afraid of us, you’re afraid of Android, or else you wouldn’t be here day after day trolling with the same old info and the same old links. You obviously have something to prove, we don’t.
You fanbois always like to brag about how much money they rake in. You a shareholder? Yeah, I would brag about is among my peers. Shouting it out to everyone else? I could care less.
You know when you are dealing with a cult when the followers boast how much company profits off off them and being proud of it as well!
Now I know how SJ is so good at what he does… he’s a Ferengi masquerading as a human pretending to be P.T Barnum.
“I smell a profit… Humans! Suckers born every minute!”
Yeah….and Andy Rubin convinces people to buy derivative, cheap phones with updates that are held hostage by OEM’s and carriers and whose cess pool otherwise known as the android market is chok full of malware….he’s a pretty good salesman himself
YWhy do u give a shit Iking? If apple is whatever u say it is then it is- to u. But android is in fact superior in the eyes of the majority of the human race. Why would anyone besides a stock holder care about the money? You’re wasting your breath.
Hey I purchased ur location data that apple inexplicably stored and accidentally sent back and accidentally probably sold for profit out of the goodness of their hearts?
“Why would anyone besides a stock holder care about the money? You’re wasting your breath. ”
Why would anyone but a stockholder or OEM care about marketshare? You’re wasting your breath….
when i grow up i wanna be just like u
Do u think Steve jobs owns an android phone Iking?
yeah well, that’s just, like, your opinion man
With sales on the rise with
respect to the Androids and iphones, sure it is a cut throat competition between
the smartphone kings. However, with the WP7 was not a stiff competitor to the
conquerors. The features achieved on the android are the power and the easy to use
interfaces that are making it the most possessed and desired gadget in the
market.