Android device activations reach 700,000 per day
Android chief and Google VP Andy Rubin revealed late Tuesday that device activations for the mobile OS platform have reached 700,00 units per day.
The executive provided more color on the number on his company's Google+ social networking service.
"For those wondering, we count each device only once (ie, we don't count re-sold devices), and "activations" means you go into a store, buy a device, put it on the network by subscribing to a wireless service."
Rubin's announcement follows an update from a quarterly earnings call in July when Google touted a new figure of 550,000. In June, Rubin announced that activations had topped 500,000 a day and were growing at a rate of 4.4 percent per week.
Android growth appeared to have tapered off some, as the platform's growth rate in June and July would have presumably pushed the platform past the 700,000 per day mark by the end of September.
Regardless, Google has seen substantial growth in Android's user base this year. Recent figures from The NPD Group show that Android-based smartphones represented a 53 percent share of the market from the beginning of the year to the end of October. By comparison, Apple's iPhone held 29 percent.
At least for now, Apple is maintaining a sizable lead on Android in the tablet market. IDC reports that the iPad held a 61.5 percent share of the tablet market in the third quarter. However, with the addition of sales of Amazon's Kindle Fire in the fourth quarter, the iPad is expected to drop to 59 percent market share.
As Google has widened its lead on Apple, the iPhone maker has declined to continue updating its activation numbers. The most recent figure comes from last October, when late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs revealed that iOS activations stood at 275,000 on average per day. CEO Tim Cook did, however, say that cumulative iOS sales topped 250 million devices during the most recent September quarter.
The executive provided more color on the number on his company's Google+ social networking service.
"For those wondering, we count each device only once (ie, we don't count re-sold devices), and "activations" means you go into a store, buy a device, put it on the network by subscribing to a wireless service."
Rubin's announcement follows an update from a quarterly earnings call in July when Google touted a new figure of 550,000. In June, Rubin announced that activations had topped 500,000 a day and were growing at a rate of 4.4 percent per week.
Android growth appeared to have tapered off some, as the platform's growth rate in June and July would have presumably pushed the platform past the 700,000 per day mark by the end of September.
Regardless, Google has seen substantial growth in Android's user base this year. Recent figures from The NPD Group show that Android-based smartphones represented a 53 percent share of the market from the beginning of the year to the end of October. By comparison, Apple's iPhone held 29 percent.
At least for now, Apple is maintaining a sizable lead on Android in the tablet market. IDC reports that the iPad held a 61.5 percent share of the tablet market in the third quarter. However, with the addition of sales of Amazon's Kindle Fire in the fourth quarter, the iPad is expected to drop to 59 percent market share.
As Google has widened its lead on Apple, the iPhone maker has declined to continue updating its activation numbers. The most recent figure comes from last October, when late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs revealed that iOS activations stood at 275,000 on average per day. CEO Tim Cook did, however, say that cumulative iOS sales topped 250 million devices during the most recent September quarter.
Comments
"For those wondering, we count each device only once (ie, we don't count re-sold devices), and "activations" means you go into a store, buy a device, put it on the network by subscribing to a wireless service."
I'm glad it's finally clarified.
How much is an Android-based device worth to Google in ad revenue or how many devices have to get activated before their Android investment breaks even?
Well, now it's has come to the point that Apple cannot announce activation numbers anymore. Android is overtaking much faster than anyone anticipated. It seems as though Apple can never get ahead no matter what they produce. Except for iTunes and iPod, everything else flames out or ends up 2nd, 3rd or stuck as a niche player.
What ridiculous about your statement is that Apple is increasing their profits YoY in everything except in the iPod division which is the part of the business that is their focus.
What ridiculous about your statement is that Apple is increasing their profits YoY in everything except in the iPod division which is the part of the business that is their focus.
It's not ridiculous. It's exactly as it was with the Mac back in the eighties. More profit doesn't mean success. It means failure in the end. Apple ended up with 1% market share. Niche player. They barely survived. Then again Apple seems to be happy with 1-3% share.
More profit doesn't mean success. It means failure in the end.
I... words cannot describe how asinine this comment is.
Profit doesn't mean success! Yup! Just ask RIM!
I... words cannot describe how asinine this comment is.
Profit doesn't mean success! Yup! Just ask RIM!
Just ask Apple with Macintosh vs Windows when Apple mad huge profits per product. What happened there? They lost. OSX and forced to switch to Intel chips to allow Windows to work on their hardware is what saved them. Yes Windows on a Mac. Pretty sad actually.
It's not ridiculous. It's exactly as it was with the Mac back in the eighties. More profit doesn't mean success. It means failure in the end. Apple ended up with 1% market share. Niche player. They barely survived. Then again Apple seems to be happy with 1-3% share.
Fallacious reasoning on every count.
If marketshare of an OS was the most important factor then why doesn't Apple give it away? They only include it with their smartphones, though it does dominate the smartphone market which no Android-based device comes close to beating.
If marketshare of the handset market was the most important factor then why only create a smartphone OS? Based on your faulty logic smartphones are doomed to fail because dumb phones dominate the handset market.
To deny Apple is successful? come on now.
All this thread clarifies is that Android is successful (some metrics) and that the naysayers now know how this metric is calculated.
I... words cannot describe how asinine this comment is.
Profit doesn't mean success! Yup! Just ask RIM!
Or Nokia or Motorola.
Just ask Apple with Macintosh vs Windows when Apple mad huge profits per product. What happened there? They lost. OSX and forced to switch to Intel chips to allow Windows to work on their hardware is what saved them. Yes Windows on a Mac. Pretty sad actually.
Now you've moved the goal posts to mean profit per product(unit) instead of being profit for the industry. Good one¡
I'm glad it's finally clarified.
So am I. This should cut the number of rubbish comments about Android on AI at least in half.
Well, now it's has come to the point that Apple cannot announce activation numbers anymore.
Why wouldn't Apple announce numbers anymore? A respectable second place is nothing to be shy about, especially as long as it brings most of the profits.
In this thread I am making it a point to distance myself from Slappy.
To deny Apple is successful? come on now.
I can prove it easily. Windows vs Apple. Windows won.
Android vs iOS. This latest announcement with activations proves my point. Android, Google won.
Android is overtaking much faster than anyone anticipated. It seems as though Apple can never get ahead no matter what they produce. Except for iTunes and iPod, everything else flames out or ends up 2nd, 3rd or stuck as a niche player.
More profit doesn't mean success. It means failure in the end. Apple ended up with 1% market share. Niche player. They barely survived. Then again Apple seems to be happy with 1-3% share.
This again?
You're right... profit only means short-term success.
BUT... knowing Apple's history... and the directions they've been able to go in recent years... I'd be willing to bet that Apple will translate that into long-term success as well.
1% or "niche" status is fine if it's sustainable. And Apple isn't just "getting by" these days... they are in a very healthy position.
Ask Motorola or LG what it's like to post a loss in a quarter... or several in a row.
Just curious... if you're always so "doom and gloom" about Apple... what are your feelings about RIM or Nokia?
What ridiculous about your statement is that Apple is increasing their profits YoY in everything except in the iPod division which is the part of the business that is their focus.
Actually Apple's % of all mobile profits last quarter dropped from 57% to 52% while Android's rose 12% to near 40%. After this 700K figure, I would not be surprised if Android is sucking up more % of mobile profits than Apple after the Q4 results. They are growing super fast while Apple has flat lined for almost a year now.
This again?
You're right... profit only means short-term success.
BUT... knowing Apple's history... and the directions they've been able to go in recent years... I'd be willing to bet that Apple will translate that into long-term success as well.
1% or "niche" status is fine if it's sustainable. And Apple isn't just "getting by" these days... they are in a very healthy position.
Ask Motorola or LG what it's like to post a loss in a quarter... or several in a row.
Just curious... if you're always so "doom and gloom" about Apple... what are your feelings about RIM or Nokia?
Steve Jobs is dead...
I can prove it easily. Windows vs Apple. Windows won.
Android vs iOS. This latest announcement with activations proves my point. Android, Google won.
What did they win?
The right to say "we sell more things" ?
I wasn't aware the a number is more important that cold hard cash.
Actually Apple's % of all mobile profits last quarter dropped from 57% to 52% while Android's rose 12% to near 40%. After this 700K figure, I would not be surprised if Android is sucking up more % of mobile profits than Apple after the Q4 results. They are growing super fast while Apple has flat lined for more than a year now.
Google has released profits for Android OS or did you just compare Apple's profit share of the entire world's handset market to Google's smartphone OS market share?
PS: It still baffles that some people think it makes sense to compare an actual device to software that is given away. Who could possibly think that makes sense?
Actually Apple's % of all mobile profits last quarter dropped from 57% to 52% while Android's rose 12% to near 40%. After this 700K figure, I would not be surprised if Android is sucking up more % of mobile profits than Apple after the Q4 results. They are growing super fast while Apple has flat lined for more than a year now.
True... but "Android's" profits are split up among several different companies... some of which are losing money.
"Android" doesn't really make money anyway... FYI.
It's a nice statistic... but it hardly puts Apple in a corner.
It's not ridiculous. It's exactly as it was with the Mac back in the eighties. More profit doesn't mean success. It means failure in the end. Apple ended up with 1% market share. Niche player. They barely survived. Then again Apple seems to be happy with 1-3% share.
Profit means sustainable success. Considering the maintain 80% of the industry's profits with only 26% market share. The other manufactures are barely breaking even in their effort to support android. In the 80s their real undoing was allowing Microsoft to steal their technology and waiting to late to respond. I think they learned that lesson. Notice the Mac is back and they didn't do it by giving them away. I'll take 1-3% if it makes me the wealthiest company in the world.
Profit means sustainable success. Considering the maintain 80% of the industry's profits with only 26% market share. The other manufactures are barely breaking even in their effort to support android. In the 80s their real undoing was allowing Microsoft to steal their technology and waiting to late to respond. I think they learned that lesson. Notice the Mac is back and they didn't do it by giving them away. I'll take 1-3% if it makes me the wealthiest company in the world.
I don't see where the Mac is back. Under 10% or even worse 3-5% worldwide is not a number one can tout around as success.
Profit means sustainable success. Considering the maintain 80% of the industry's profits with only 26% market share. The other manufactures are barely breaking even in their effort to support android. In the 80s their real undoing was allowing Microsoft to steal their technology and waiting to late to respond. I think they learned that lesson. Notice the Mac is back and they didn't do it by giving them away. I'll take 1-3% if it makes me the wealthiest company in the world.
Don't worry... slapppy would rather be HP and sell tons of computers but barely make any money from them.
In other words... do a lot of work for very little return.
To him "market share" is the thing to chase!