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More numbers! This time, Nielsen has come to the bulletin board with their own numbers regarding smartphone operating system market share in the United States. It’s pretty much the same as it has been for a little while now – Android far ahead, iOS still holding a sizable second place lead, RIM hanging in their and Microsoft not doing much of anything.
Specifically, Nielsen professes Android has 40% of the market share. This is up against iOS’ 28% and RIM Blackberry’s 19%. Compare that to Comscore’s projections yesterday of 41.8%, 28%, and 21.7%, respectively.
It seems Nielsen didn’t deem Symbian’s and WebOS’ numbers big enough for their own category as they’ve been lumped into the infamous “other” category. As for Windows, Comscore gave Microsoft 5.7% of the share but didn’t say which versions of Windows accounted for how much of the share.
Nielsen did decide to discern between the two, though, and they show us that Windows Phone 7 only has about 1% of the share and Windows Mobile is still the one keeping Microsoft in the game with 7% of the share.
So there it is – two very similar reports that suggest Android surely is primed for 50% of this country’s share while Microsoft isn’t really moving as many units as they probably wanted to.
Some will say the OS is still young and Android had just as rough a time starting out, but don’t forget that Android came to market as an unknown entity with only one manufacturer supporting it while Microsoft had multiple big names come out with devices based on their history alone.
Not saying Microsoft can’t eventually regain prominence in the smartphone market, but their advantage certainly hasn’t done anything to accelerate adoption. [Nielsen]
I’ve still yet to see a WP7 being used in the natural environment.
I had a coworker who had one that was given to him in a contest or something. He really wanted an Android though…
But yeah, that is the only one I have ever seen.
The WP7 scenario in my country is really bad too.
I’ve heard of so many users who dumped their phones for an Android.
Also, the brand new ones are going for about 300USD with no plans.
It’s really going downhill for Microsoft here.
MS may as well just sit back and make money of HTC Android phones and others if it wins any more lawsuits. Or focus on tablets.
At some point doesnt it become wasting money?
I have coworker who has one and loves it. He keeps telling me “Just wait” when I say it has no chance. lol
I’m not even sure a Windows Phone 7 even exists. Sure I’ve seen picture of them, but I can’t definitively say they exists because I’ve never seen one in real life.
Weird. I’ve seen more Pres than I have Windows Phones.
What do you mean “Just 1%”? I amazed that it’s that high!
Nothing but iPhones as far as the eye can see where I live.
I’m sorry…
Sometimes I feel so alone out there… =)
So you actually LIVE in an Apple store? WOW!
The only number I realllllyy want to see is a Nexus Prime(T-mobile!) release date :)
It’s Nokia’s fault… just wait. LOL
Wait for what I’m not sure. HAhaha.
Also very interesting is Neilsen’s research about desirability. They asked 5 different categories of consumers which operating system they want in their next smartphone, and Android leads in 4 of those 5 categories. Notably, Android has very strong leads among Innovators (who are often key influencers) and Late Adopters (who will be driving growth of the smartphone market).
This is a very different situation from what we’d heard in the past, where Android was leading in sales, but iPhone was leading in desirability. That made it easier to write off Android’s success as owing to low prices and BOGO deals.
And you know what? Its believable. Why?
Cuz this isnt 2008…like some anti-Android folks would like you to believe. Its 2011. Android and the hardware has gotten better and better over the months, years.
I’m waiting to see the “it’ WP7 Mango device. I believe it’s a good OS, but still lacks quality apps.
Don’t worry, MS. Nokia is coming to the rescue. Its CEO said so.
Kennemmer is such a homer it’s sickening
WP7 haha. Why do I want a phone that doesn’t even have wallpaper or live wallpaper.
yep all Android OS is on every carrier here for the States. IOS only on two. And Windows 7 phone only on two also but still not enough to get the consumer to buy Windows 7 phone. I know I choose Android OS
Dude…WP7 is on all 4 major carriers. Get your stuff straight.
Wait till iPhone hits Sprint and other carriers. I have only had Android but will gladly leave when iPhone hits Sprint. Peace out Android and ur crappy OS system.
If the Verizon launch didn’t spell the death of Android, what makes you think a Sprint or Tmobile launch will? Sprint is bleeding customers and T-Mobile is still struggling. Verizon was the big test, and it failed to stop Android’s growth.
To each his own. I owned an iPhone and will never own another or any Apple product.
I am trying to figure out why this article is on here, except to directly bash WP7 and praise Android….though i still don’t understand why.
With that being said…Given the fact Windows Phone 7 has not been out for a full year yet and Android is in it’s 3rd year, I am not sure how anyone can bash a Brand New OS(remember this is not Windows Mobile…it’s brand spanking new) Vs a mature OS.
What is even more funny is that when Android was starting out(1.5-2.0 days), the argument was Android is new and IOS is experienced and mature and give it time. So it is slightly hypocritical(I am not surprised) for any Android user to bash WP7’s progress at this point.
But technically….this isnt MS’s first foray into smartphones.
“Dont call it a comeback, they been here for years”….lol
Android and iOS are still babies compared to MS. Whatever the case is, their vast experience with a mobile OS isnt cutting it right now compared to 2 new kids on the block.
Look at their desktop OS. Their experience and business strategy looks like its paying off there…but not for their mobile OS.
I think its the reason MS was losing market share to the iPhone ever since it came out….something else was a better option. Even more so when Android came out. The old Win Mo probably left a bad taste in many ppl’s mouths that MS is still trying to recover from. Plus….the iPhone proved popularity helps too. Right now Android and iOS are 2 very popular phone choices.
I think the only way WP7 can gain any real momentum is either Nokia having some magic up their sleeves and hope there are many Nokia fans out there or iOS and/or Android start falling off in a major way. Or in Android’s case….it gets sued into oblivion…lol
Well, MS cut off everything about Winmo and wanted to be more like iPhone, big mistake.
Just check out XDA and they should’ve known they had big following.
And they dumped Winmo users just like that.
See, even now in the chart Winmo have more % than WinPhone.
Nokia ain’t gonna help you much MS.
If only you would’ve tried to refine Winmo and bring it up to date with new codes and new UI….could have kept the Winmo users and add more.
That makes no sense whatsoever. Of course Windows Mobile has more market share than Windows Phone.
Windows Mobile— Been around like 10 years+
Windows phone– Been around 10 months.
and pray tell what about WP7 screams Iphone? Just curious.
I don’t agree. Yes, if you compare Windows Mobile with Android & IOS, I could see your argument.
Regardless of MS time in the market it doesn’t change the fact that Windows Phone is not even a year old. It’s not a continuation of WIndows mobile…it’s a brand new OS so it is not 100% accurate to compare WP7 success(or lack thereof) to Android/IOS
Compare Windows Phone to something like Webos, would be more accurate. Or even Blackberry to Windows Phone 7.
How is it not a continuation of Windows Mobile? It’s the next version and it has the backing of a behemoth like Nokia. Android had no such help. Also you can’t compare it to Blackberry. BB was no1 not too long ago when Windows Mobile was still a small fraction of the market.
Windows Mobile never really had a lot of traction. At least not compared to Palm OS or Blackberry. WP7 is just following along in the same footsteps. I don’t see any effective marketing and it’s lacking Flash which is a big no no. Other than that, it is very smooth, has a nice UI and certainly has potential. It’s just that right now, you have to put your best foot forward and nothing less if you want the public to embrace your product.
Believe it or not, Windows Mobile once had 23% of the global smartphone market in 2004. http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2008/09/01/microsoft-plans-%E2%80%9Cskymarket%E2%80%9D-apps-store-for-windows-mobile-7-in-2009/
My, how the mighty have fallen.
that is so dumb
While I am not surprised at the number of users currently using Android, the next purchase poll did catch me by surprise. I honestly thought Apple still maintained that “The next phone I want is an iPhone.” It is great to see that people are not only using Android but enjoying it to the point where they want their next device to run the same operating system.
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So, what spark of stupidity has inspired MS to adopt this 1% share phone’s GUI for WIndows 8 and make the current desktop an app?
The same one that made them tie IE, Bing and Silverlight and every other annoying thing they make to their phone. They’re “leveraging synergies”.
Which is marketese for “a bag of anchors and no boat.”
WOW, reading the comments. A lot of negativity against Windows Phone 7. Was hoping people would be better than to judge the product a failure based on its current market penetration at this point in its life.
Having experienced one myself, I can say I’m pretty impressed with it. It was fast, snappy, responsive, and easy to use and would prefer to judge it based on this experience rather than the small market penetration it has achieved at present.
I also don’t buy into the whole app store number thing either. I read only not long ago a blog that looked at the popular app titles on Android and iPhone and what was available on the Windows Phone market place. Surprisingly there was not a great deal missing.
For me if anything it just means that there isn’t like a hundred different versions of the same thing, only to find that about 95 of them suck.
I’m reluctant to be negative against Windows Phone 7 simply because I’ve never had my hands on it to try it out. I was following it quite a bit up until the time it came out and it looked pretty impressive to me. I was also a huge Android fan since day 1 with the G1 on release day… so I know what it is to be on the underdog team. Back then I was screaming to everybody about how great my phone was… very few people cared. Now Android has really made an impact and some of those people are showing me their new Android phones as if it’s new to me! It’s funny how things go.
My wife bought one – HTC HD7. It’s not bad – just not “wow”. It has a few really good apps, but the apps cost more than on my Epic and there are a lot of obvious good apps missing. She didn’t have Android or iOS before, so she’s ok with it. She doesn’t know what she’s missing. She doesn’t mind the lack of a front side camera.
For me though? Not a chance. I’m not giving up my Android apps and Bing integration would have me embedding the thing in a wall within the day. One day she’ll tire of it and I’ll put Android on and make it a media player and micro-game pad. The kids will like it as a toy.
I just don’t see WP7 taking off ever. If it was going to, it would have by now.