Google Android widens lead on Apple's iPhone in US smartphone market

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
New data released Monday revealed that Google's Android mobile OS has widened its lead on Apple's iPhone and gained significantly on Research in Motion, the top smartphone platform in the US.



According to a comScore report released Monday, smartphone ownership in the US grew 60 percent year over year to 63.2 million owners in the three months ending in December 2010. Google saw the biggest gains, climbing within several points of BlackBerry maker RIM.



Meanwhile, Apple grew 0.7 percent from 24.3 percent of total smartphone subscribers in the US in the September 2010 quarter to a 3 month average of 25 percent in December 2010.



Google, which leapt past Apple to take the No. 2 spot in November, continued its rapid growth, posting 7.3 percent growth from last quarter in its platform market share. As of December 2010, the Android maker had taken 28.7 percent of the US smartphone market share, compared to 21.4 percent in the third quarter of 2010.



RIM saw its share of US smartphone subscribers plummet from 37.3 percent in September 2010 to 31.6 percent as of December 2010. With sales of Blackberry smartphones slowing in the US, the Waterloo, Ontario-based company has shifted its focus to international markets as of late, resulting in just one-third of its revenue coming from the US last quarter.



Microsoft saw its share of subscribers drop from 9.9 percent in September 2010 to 8.4 percent in the December quarter, as Windows Phone 7 failed to gain traction. Palm also continued to lose share, dropping from 4.2 percent to 3.7 percent over the same period.



Source: comScore MobiLens



Last month, research firm Canalys reported that the Google platform, which includes Android as well as Chinese variants OMS and Tapas, had overtaken Nokia to become the top smartphone platform maker in the world.



According to data published Monday by IDC, Apple still holds its position as the No.2 worldwide smartphone maker, though top Android vendors, such as Samsung and HTC, did see impressive growth.



The iPhone maker may post significant gains in market share this quarter with the release of the iPhone 4 on Verizon. The nation's largest wireless network announced last week that presales of the iPhone 4 beat the carrier's previous sales records in just two hours. According to one analyst, the preorder and launch supply of CDMA iPhone 4s could include as many as 2 million units.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 101
    Android is an OS not a phone. Windows has a much larger market share than OSX. Go with Windows and Android if that rocks your boat.
  • Reply 2 of 101
    Hahha.. apple will gain back it's lead and then some in a few months on Verizon.
  • Reply 3 of 101
    When the iPhone arrives on all 4 carriers, the only way Android phones can compete is to give them away for free.
  • Reply 4 of 101
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bigwoodenhead View Post


    When the iPhone arrives on all 4 carriers, the only way Android phones can compete is to give them away for free.



    That, or resort to gimmicks that add exactly zero practical utility.



    Exhibit A: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/07/s...nounced-we-go/
  • Reply 5 of 101
    Of course DED would omit this article from being posted. He had to have seen it with all the time he spends trying to put together dozens of sleazy articles. Thank you, Sam, for actually posting the story instead of trying to hide it from your readers.



    As for the story, let's see how Apple will end up in a few days with Big Red.
  • Reply 6 of 101
    I don't know why is it a fashion now to compare iPhone against Android -- its like asking does apple (the fruit) sells more than all other fruits combined? A fair comparison would be iPhone 4 against, say, one of Spring EVO 4G, Samsung Galaxy S, Moto Droid 2, or whatever.
  • Reply 7 of 101
    shadashshadash Posts: 470member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by HahaHaha321 View Post


    Of course DED would omit this article from being posted. He had to have seen it with all the time he spends trying to put together dozens of sleazy articles. Thank you, Sam, for actually posting the story instead of trying to hide it from your readers.



    As for the story, let's see how Apple will end up in a few days with Big Red.



    No reason for the vitriol.



    I expect with the iPhone 5 that we'll be able to get one on all 4 major carriers in the US, and Google's numbers will slide.



    But what really will be interesting is if Nokia announces an alliance with Microsoft on Friday. That would really shake things up for everyone.
  • Reply 8 of 101
    pokepoke Posts: 506member
    It'll be interesting to see how the Verizon iPhone affects these numbers. It looks like iPhone growth plateaued on AT&T.



    In the long term, I don't think Samsung will stay with Android. That's not how Korean companies work. If Bada doesn't work out they can always fork Android. HTC has also expressed its desire to have its own OS and was a contender to acquire Palm. How long before Android's two biggest vendors jump ship?
  • Reply 9 of 101
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rmm221 View Post


    Hahha.. apple will gain back it's lead and then some in a few months on Verizon.



    Why is this 'lead' important?
  • Reply 10 of 101
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    Because it was only available on AT&T. Th Android phones have the entire US market. So the comparison is not fair.
  • Reply 11 of 101
    iliveriliver Posts: 299member
    Closed vs Open/Mac vs Windows- here we go again.
  • Reply 12 of 101
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tzeshan View Post


    Because it was only available on AT&T. Th Android phones have the entire US market. So the comparison is not fair.



    It is only not fair because it does not make apple fan boys happy... There is another world out there that actually don't like Apple and would never own one of there phones. This does not make the iPhone any less of a phone it is called people choice.



    There are 4 apple products in my house yet I still have an Android phone, not because of Apple but ATT dropped 5 - 7 calls per day and clients were complaining. My Android although not a polished as my iPhone was is still a very good phone.
  • Reply 13 of 101
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bigwoodenhead View Post


    When the iPhone arrives on all 4 carriers, the only way Android phones can compete is to give them away for free.



    Agreed! Or hang them on mailboxes as "free" samples!



    Best
  • Reply 14 of 101
    axualaxual Posts: 244member
    This compares, literally, Apples and Oranges ... how would Google Android do if there were only one device it was available on?
  • Reply 15 of 101
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,630member
    A hundred Android Phones versus two iPhones (3GS and 4). Big whoop.
  • Reply 16 of 101
    ssls6ssls6 Posts: 49member
    I would never trust my personal information on the android platform as it currently stands.
  • Reply 17 of 101
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    Personally, I don't think this is a valid comparison. You can't compare a device market share (iPhone) to a platform market share (Android). A fair comparison would be iOS vs Android and it should include all devices. If you want to compare the iPhone to another device then it should be compared to individual Android phones. Another valid comparison would be Apple iPhone market share against HTC, Samsung.. etc phones running Android OS.
  • Reply 18 of 101
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hittrj01 View Post


    That, or resort to gimmicks that add exactly zero practical utility.



    Exhibit A: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/07/s...nounced-we-go/



    Or you can get a Virgin Mobile LG Optimus V for $139.00 at Radio Shack and then pay $25 a month for unlimited data (well 5GB a full speed and then extra throttled), not to mention unlimited texting and 300 mins of talk time.



    The phone is not a bad little phone. The slow CPU is backed up by a dedicated GPU and modem cpu than take the load of the CPU. Add a very vanilla version of Android Froyo and you might still not be convinced. Understandable.



    BUT when you download the Quick Settings App, your little phone becomes a wifi hotspot for you lovely iOS devices and Macbooks.



    Why am I wasting time writing this? Because I am tired of being AT&T's but monkey! I am transferring my iPhone # to Google Voice and then using the little android phone as a hotspot for my now transformed iPh(POD)one 3GS, iPad and Macbook.



    Eat it AT&T!
  • Reply 19 of 101
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by poke View Post


    It'll be interesting to see how the Verizon iPhone affects these numbers. It looks like iPhone growth plateaued on AT&T.



    In the long term, I don't think Samsung will stay with Android. That's not how Korean companies work. If Bada doesn't work out they can always fork Android. HTC has also expressed its desire to have its own OS and was a contender to acquire Palm. How long before Android's two biggest vendors jump ship?



    That depends. What other OS is out there worth having? Win7 Phone? Palm OS? Symbian? I like Win7, the OS is pretty sweet, but I really don't think it will catch on unless Android goes tit-up.
  • Reply 20 of 101
    adonissmuadonissmu Posts: 1,776member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NShirkey View Post


    Android is an OS not a phone. Windows has a much larger market share than OSX. Go with Windows and Android if that rocks your boat.



    That title is misleading. The title should be....



    Android widens lead on Apple's iOS in US smartphone platform war.



    This is much more accurate.
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