Big phones, phablets & tablets account for just 10% of Android's installed base

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  • Reply 41 of 102
    kdarlingkdarling Posts: 1,640member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    While many pundits insist that Apple must make a larger screen iPhone to keep pace with the offerings from Android licensees, Google's own stats indicate that all big phones, tablets and phablets put together are a tiny 10 percent fraction of active users.


     


    The article is based on several misunderstandings.


     


    Normal goes more like 3.5" to 4.8". The charts are tricky to read, and more importantly, each manufacturer sets what category their device displays by default.



    When programming for Android, here are the categories that developers actually use:


     



    • Galaxy Mini (3.1") - small, ldpi


    • Galaxy Ace (3.5") - normal, mdpi


     



    • Galaxy S (4.0") - normal, hdpi


    • Galaxy S2 (4.3") - normal, hdpi


    • Galaxy S3 (4.8") - normal, xhdpi


    • Galaxy Nexus (4.65") - normal, xhdpi


     



    • Galaxy Note - large, xhdpi


    • Galaxy Nexus 7 - large, tvdpi


    • Galaxy Tab 10.1 - xlarge, mdpi


    Notice that screens from 4.0" to 4.8" use the "normal/hdpi" and "normal/xhdpi" categories. Looking at the Android dashboard for those stats, you'll see that (37.3% + 25.9%) 



    = 62.2% of devices using the Play Market in the past two weeks are probably between 4.0" and 4.8".



    However, the thing to remember is that... just like those web / ad page stats that people quote too much... the Dashboard does not show market share or sales.   It only reflects who is hitting the Market.

  • Reply 42 of 102
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by hill60 View Post


     


    100,000,000 million was the last claim by Samsung. (Galaxy S handsets)


     


    1 Billion was the last claim by Schmidt. (Android devices)


     


    Take away the "tiny" screened Galaxy S (the one that looked like an iPhone 3G/S).


     


    Then what have you got?


     


    10% with other manufacturers filling out the "rounding error".



    Can one person put multiple flawed claims in a single post, say it's all fact and proves their point and do it with a straight face? Perhaps you can.


     


    Schmidt didn't say there were 1B Android devices. Check the story again.


     


    Samsung said they'd sold 100M Galaxy S model smartphones. . .  back in January. They also said at the same time the S3 was currently selling at the rate of another 190K units each day, 5.7 million more each month since if true. That's the S3 only.


     


    And how many small screen Galaxy S models did you say they sold?  I missed that figure.  Interesting math sir.


     


    At least you changed your story about Google's charts proving large display smartphones aren't big sellers. That's a good start.

  • Reply 43 of 102
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member


    It's no big secret that the overwhelming majority of Android products sold are of the ultra bargain variety, catering to the financially disadvantaged and the more technologically ignorant members of our society, basically people who don't mind using junk. This also explains why Android is so under represented on web usage stats, because of the fact that Android users aren't really using their devices that much as smart devices, even though their devices are ironically designated as "smart devices". Does anybody actually expect these penny pinching individuals to spend much money for internet data or to pay to be online when taking a flight?


     


    It's good to see that all of the stats, reports and surveys coming out back up what I have been saying for years now about Android, Android usage and their user base.


     


    I've said this before too, but Android's marketshare importance is highly exaggerated. Who cares about Android's marketshare, when the majority of the users can be categorized as third world consumers, even the ones who happen to live in the first world? One Apple user is probably worth at least 5-10 Android users, if not more, and I am highly suspicious of certain analysts and others who attempt to compare marketshare numbers without giving any consideration to numerous other factors which are far more important and relevant than marketshare.

  • Reply 44 of 102
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member



    Will Apple go full phablet?




     


    The phrasing here reminds me of that offensive image of Robert Downey Jr. from whatever that movie is. 


     


    I agree with the sentiment of that meme in this case. 

  • Reply 45 of 102
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    kdarling wrote: »
    Normal goes more like 3.5" to 4.8". The charts are tricky to read, and more importantly, each manufacturer sets what category their device displays by default.

    So despite the curly brackets being off in the chart as you claim normal goes to 4.8" it's not Google's fault, but AppleInsider's? And if each manufacturer can set their labels arbitrarily then what is the point of anything else you wrote as a vendor can make 1" Large normal and 10" Small. You jump on any little thing out of place or confusing with Apple but with this you defend as if Google doesn't have actual numbers of actual display sizes, resolutions, and every other important aspect of the HW to share with developers.
  • Reply 46 of 102
    pedromartinspedromartins Posts: 1,333member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    It's no big secret that the overwhelming majority of Android products sold are of the ultra bargain variety, catering to the financially disadvantaged and the more technologically ignorant members of our society, basically people who don't mind using junk. This also explains why Android is so under represented on web usage stats, because of the fact that Android users aren't really using their devices that much as smart devices, even though their devices are ironically designated as "smart devices". Does anybody actually expect these penny pinching individuals to spend much money for internet data or to pay to be online when taking a flight?


     


    It's good to see that all of the stats, reports and surveys coming out back up what I have been saying for years now about Android, Android usage and their user base.


     


    I've said this before too, but Android's marketshare importance is highly exaggerated. Who cares about Android's marketshare, when the majority of the users can be categorized as third world consumers, even the ones who happen to live in the first world? One Apple user is probably worth at least 5-10 Android users, if not more, and I am highly suspicious of certain analysts and others who attempt to compare marketshare numbers without giving any consideration to numerous other factors which are far more important and relevant than marketshare.



     


    Let's be realistic here. Do you want another Mac Vs windows situation?


     


    Yes, the Mac is awesome and is better than everything else on the other side. But, this time, Apple can have it all!! Apple, the ones innovating and pushing things forward, can have it all!


    Isn't that much better?


     


    Shut up, then.

  • Reply 47 of 102
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Will Apple go full phablet?

     


     


    (at risk of getting banned, I'll let RDJ answer this in his very NSFW way)


     


    image

  • Reply 48 of 102
    harharharharharhar Posts: 10member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by hill60 View Post


     


    Samsung's 100,000,000 Galaxy S models sold.


     


    Schmidt's 1 Billion Android devices sold.


     


    Are they lying, or what?



    Oh, so apparently "flagship" phone means only Galaxy S. You better exclude HTC, Sony, Motorola, LG, etc. because none of them have made "flagship" phones.


     


    100 million Galaxy S phones. You can't arbitrarily take out the original Galaxy S phone, because it "looked like" the 3gs, because at the time, it was a 4" phone, quite a bit larger than the 3gs. Apple didn't even catch up to that til 2 years later, when they increased the size of their phones. Like they said they never would.


     


    So that's 100 million phones larger than Apple ever said they'd need. Then, add in all of the HTC, Sony, Motorola, LG phones that are >4" and have top of the line specs for when they were released. 


     


    That is substantially more than 10%. I'd have to say closer on to 40-50%.


     


    Forgive my math, but if you can spitball bullshit like that, I figure I can spitball a bit too.

  • Reply 49 of 102
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,404member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by hill60 View Post


    How?


     


    The most popular Android models are cheaper, smaller screened handsets which totally dominate sales with a 90% share.


     


    For each "flagship" phone, there are nine lower end phones being sold.


     


    Google's figures bear out the estimate I made months ago.



    To add to what you're saying, the next time Android's global share numbers are trotted out, can the Fandroids here agree that the share truly comparable to Apple's is 10% of the reported number? In other words, the next time we hear "Android has 55% share and Apple 30%", they really mean "Android has 5.5% share and Apple 30% in comparable high-end segments. The other 49.5% is low-end cr4p"? image

  • Reply 50 of 102
    kdarlingkdarling Posts: 1,640member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post



    So despite the curly brackets being off in the chart as you claim normal goes to 4.8" it's not Google's fault, but AppleInsider's? 


     


    The chart clearly says that "figures are not exact".  


     


    Furthermore, this topic has been explained here before, and you even said:


    Quote:


    "I thought that went against the chart I used for my posting but upon looking again I guess up to 5" could be considered "normal" by Google's standards, if you want to call it a standard since it overlap with large by about a full inch."  - SolipsismX



     


    Even then, I pointed out THE ACTUAL VALUES BEING USED for devices that are hitting the Market, not what someone guessed at to fit their agenda.


     


    Quote:


    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    And if each manufacturer can set their labels arbitrarily then what is the point of anything else you wrote as a vendor can make 1" Large normal and 10" Small.



     


    Now you're just being silly.  Nobody said they were set totally arbitrarily.  I said they got to set what their default was.  Obviously they do so within reason, with the eye towards most apps looking good on their screens.


     


    Quote:


    You jump on any little thing out of place or confusing with Apple but with this you defend as if Google doesn't have actual numbers of actual display sizes, resolutions, and every other important aspect of the HW to share with developers



     


    Which was my whole point.... these Android dashboard charts cannot be used to reliably determine sales amounts (low or high) any more than web usage or ad view charts can.  


     


    That's not pro or anti Apple or Google.  It simply is what it is -- the article was based on several misconceptions.

  • Reply 51 of 102
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,860member
    jeffdm wrote: »

    Yeah, that's stupid. Sure, that distinction might be a benefit to devs, but then, not really in the absence of dpi factoring, which still works back into inches anyway because the constraint is still fingertips and eyes.
    That's insane.

    They make the data insane because that makes it easier to argue anything you want based on the data, or, conversely, to dispute anything you want. That's how Google rolls.
  • Reply 52 of 102
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by harharhar View Post


    Forgive my math, but if you can spitball bullshit like that, I figure I can spitball a bit too.



     


    The "bullshit" comes from what is released by the manufacturers.


     


    If you want less "bullshit" demand real figures because "bullshit" is all Android manufacturers want people to play with.


     


    Google obscures the real figures.


     


    Samsung obscures the real figures.


     


    Other Android manufacturers obscure the real figures.


     


    When you take out all the "bull" all you are left with is "shit" an apt description of Android.

  • Reply 53 of 102
    curtis hannahcurtis hannah Posts: 1,833member
    Obviously normal is most common whith a size of 3.5 to 4.5 inches which is apples market, where Steve's goal was for a large display(compared to 2 inches at the time) to replace a seperate keyboard.
    ireland wrote: »
    10% now. The key word being 'now'. I'd say it'll be a bigger number by 2014.
    They have been like this since they were released 2-3 years ago, I know company like Samsung have them now, but what about the fact that smaller devices have stayed.
  • Reply 54 of 102
    bregaladbregalad Posts: 816member
    So there's a big market for cheap smartphones; who would have guessed?

    I think the size chart is misleading as most large Android devices could fall into the "normal" category including the Nexus 4, HTC One family and Galaxy SIII.

    What's more telling is the prevalence of xhdpi phones: over 25% and growing. Manufacturers aren't using those high res displays in small cheap phones, but in flagship models and there isn't a flagship Android phone under 4.7".

    Even the "free with contract" phones are getting bigger. I quickly checked one of the big Canadian carriers and found both the LG Optimus G and HTC OneX available for free on any contract of $50/mo or more.
  • Reply 55 of 102
    mechanicmechanic Posts: 805member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post



    The part I find most depressing is simply how vanilla Google's own stats are that they can't be more exact regarding screen sizes, resolutions, and pixel densities to developers.


    I could not agree with you more Googles own stats on screen size areas are so vague that there really not worth posting.  Its just like the "shipped" numbers from android manufacturers, they really dont mean anything when compared to actual "sold" numbers we get from apple.  


     


    One other edit:  I think the numbers are vague on purpose as well.



     

  • Reply 56 of 102
    mechanicmechanic Posts: 805member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post


     


    I don't get how describing sizes in this way is even slightly helpful (or tells us anything).  


     


    A "small" appears to be 2" to 3.5", whereas a "normal" appears to be 3" to 5", but a "large" is 4" to 7"?  How does that work?  If it's a 4.5" phone is it a "normal" or a "large"?  How does one decide which category to put a device in if it falls into one of the overlapping areas?  


     


    The overlapping definitions create confusion at the exact point where most of the devices actually fall on the scale. Most phones cluster around the 4.5"-5" area and most tablets cluster around the 7"-8" area.  


     


    If one can simply pick and choose which category these phones and tablets go into because of the overlapping definitions, then all the information here is pure BS.  



     


     


    You said it lol the whole chart is a waste of time  "BS"image

  • Reply 57 of 102
    mechanicmechanic Posts: 805member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by hill60 View Post


     


    The "bullshit" comes from what is released by the manufacturers.


     


    If you want less "bullshit" demand real figures because "bullshit" is all Android manufacturers want people to play with.


     


    Google obscures the real figures.


     


    Samsung obscures the real figures.


     


    Other Android manufacturers obscure the real figures.


     


    When you take out all the "bull" all you are left with is "shit" an apt description of Android.



    LOLimage  I concur.

  • Reply 58 of 102
    juiljuil Posts: 75member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    It's no big secret that the overwhelming majority of Android products sold are of the ultra bargain variety, catering to the financially disadvantaged and the more technologically ignorant members of our society, basically people who don't mind using junk. This also explains why Android is so under represented on web usage stats, because of the fact that Android users aren't really using their devices that much as smart devices, even though their devices are ironically designated as "smart devices". Does anybody actually expect these penny pinching individuals to spend much money for internet data or to pay to be online when taking a flight?


     


    It's good to see that all of the stats, reports and surveys coming out back up what I have been saying for years now about Android, Android usage and their user base.


     


    I've said this before too, but Android's marketshare importance is highly exaggerated. Who cares about Android's marketshare, when the majority of the users can be categorized as third world consumers, even the ones who happen to live in the first world? One Apple user is probably worth at least 5-10 Android users, if not more, and I am highly suspicious of certain analysts and others who attempt to compare marketshare numbers without giving any consideration to numerous other factors which are far more important and relevant than marketshare.



     


    Thank you!


     


    This always bugs me...


     


    Unit market share = 1 metric


    Revenue share = 1 metric (and by deduction, revenue per unit)


    Profit pool share = 1 metric (and by deduction, profit percentage)


    Installed base = 1 metric


    Customer satisfaction/loyalty = 1 metric


    Real world device usage = 1 metric


    Brand recognition/value = 1 metric


    Marketing strategy, alliances and deals = 1 metric


    and so on...


     


    If these other guys are doing so well, why the hell are we only hearing about "unit market share". I mean, they should be bragging about these other metrics if they were so much on top of things. So that makes me come to the conclusion that they don’t really have anything to brag about except units shipped/unit market share.

  • Reply 59 of 102
    plagenplagen Posts: 151member
    hill60 wrote: »
    Remember when the iPhone was being lambasted for it's "huge" size, back when Nokia was still king?

    Was that only five years ago?

    Regarding the second part it would be helpful if Google and the companies selling Android handsets released actual figures instead of muddying the waters with fudged up numbers.

    Obviously they do this as they want the misperceptions they are probably paying bloggers to misrepresent, to persist.

    Yes, and iPad was ridiculed for being just "a large iPhone "
  • Reply 60 of 102
    kdarlingkdarling Posts: 1,640member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Bregalad View Post



    What's more telling is the prevalence of xhdpi phones: over 25% and growing. Manufacturers aren't using those high res displays in small cheap phones, but in flagship models and there isn't a flagship Android phone under 4.7".



    Even the "free with contract" phones are getting bigger. I quickly checked one of the big Canadian carriers and found both the LG Optimus G and HTC OneX available for free on any contract of $50/mo or more.


     


    That is closer to what the article should've been talking about:


     


    What are the most popular screen sizes in the price range that Apple would want to fit in, especially to gain sales outside of the US, where Android dominates?


     


    I.e. Apple probably doesn't want to sell in the very low price ranges.  Most people think they'd be after the $300-$400 market.  So what screen size dominates there?   That's what should be researched. 

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