Apple's iOS, Google's Android grow to 96.4% of smartphone market as competitors shrink, IDC says

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 77

    IDC also broke down market share by price tier, where Apple unsurprisingly dominates in the high-end range of handsets over $400.

    This is flat out wrong based on the numbers from this article itself. Even though only 20% of Android devices were high-end, that still is more than the entire number of iPhones Apple sold. Thus Android dominates the high-end market worldwide.
  • Reply 22 of 77
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Crowley View Post

     

    A bit surprised that the Windows Mobile graph shows more of a tendency toward cheaper devices than Android.  I haven't seen many Windows Phone devices in the wild but they've all been high end Lumias.


    I'm not surprised at all. Microsoft switched strategy after they realize they couldn't compete in the high end. They removed the license fee so that manufacturers could target the low end. It's funny that their market share is falling despite the fire sales going on. http://www.neowin.net/news/lumia-520-drops-to-3999-off-contract-but-only-for-today

  • Reply 23 of 77
    The iphone 4 which is available in some countries is $299 USD.

    Lumia/Nokia sells a $25 phone in India.

    Plus it's time for IDC to recognize Google Android and Forked Android as it's a different OS.
  • Reply 24 of 77
    An increasing number of analysts is saying that Microsoft should just give up, and cut their losses. (One analyst invented the term "Zuned out" to describe what happens when a company waits for major players to prove that a marketplace is lucrative before getting into it - too late.)

    Makes me think back to Microsoft employees' 2010 funeral for the iPhone (http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-iphone-funeral-2010-9?op=1), as they wanted to believe that Windows Phone was going to overwhelm the competition. Oh, the irony, as mourners become the mourned.
  • Reply 25 of 77

    Given IDC's track record, this probably means that Tizen has something like a 7% market share by now.

  • Reply 26 of 77
    pfisherpfisher Posts: 758member

    Seems as share increases for Android, people get more and more defensive. If IDC is making up numbers or misreporting, or unfairly reporting, the same can be said for the comments in this thread that say, "well, but".

     

    At the end of the day, Android, phones on par with the iPhone, are probably a good chunk of the percentages and are far above iOS.

     

    Yes, I've used the crappy Samsung Android phones that are subpar, used one in Thailand, not on the same level in any way with iOS or Galaxy S3 phones.

     

    The question is, how premium can Apple be? It's their choice. Maybe it will end up a lot like years ago, when Windows took over MacOS (We owned Macs in those days).

     

    One day it could happen. Android is very much good enough for most people AND HTC or some other company come out with a cheaper AND super-fantastic (or good enough) phone that will beat the pants off Apple.

     

    That is, people will say, why am I paying $800 for a phone (I know what I'm talking about, because I bought FOUR this year in cash.)

     

    Android may almost be there where I'd switch.

     

    We at the point that we don't want to upgrade and pay the Apple premium.

     

    The Apple will be caught with its pants down. Or seem with its pants down and lose market share even more and panic a bit, maybe even lower prices.

     

    I pray for the day that Android gets a lot better and on par (to me) with iOS. I bought three Android tablets that crapped out and won't go that road again (all refurbished - 2 Nexus and one Amazon tablet).

     

    When Android is closely on par with Apple, and Apple really gets some serious competiton, either Apple will continue to keep coming out with snazzy new phones, or budge a little and decide that the best device is not always the winnner (Sony Beta, everyone likes to quote/reference).

     

    Sure, my MacSE was superior to Windows 3.1 back in the day, but that didn't prevent Apple from losing because they gouged their customers because of a superior device at a superior price.

     

    We were recently at a laser light show put on at a dam near us. Everyone but us had Android phones.

     

    Be an Apple fan all you want, but denial and red herrings are just denial and red herrings.

  • Reply 27 of 77
    The Korean chappies who pay for the info just love this stuff I wonder how they keep their jobs.

    I guess MS and BB did not pay the money this month or they could have had a respectable 20% each
  • Reply 28 of 77

    so if only 20% of Android phones are over 400+ and the total number of headset are 255.3.... Android is still moving more phones over 400+ compared to iOS

     

    20% of 255 = 50.1 (in millions) handset over 400+ - seeing how Apple total is 35.2 (all tiers included)

  • Reply 29 of 77
    relicrelic Posts: 4,735member
    crowley wrote: »
    A bit surprised that the Windows Mobile graph shows more of a tendency toward cheaper devices than Android.  I haven't seen many Windows Phone devices in the wild but they've all been high end Lumias.

    Windows Phones are defiantly more popular in Europe. There isn't an single mobile provider here in Switzerland who doesnt't carry them, even the Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet is highly popular. Orange for instance has a Nokia 930 and 2520 combo deal that is constantly sold out. I had to wait almost a month for mine, the reason why I didn't simply buy one from a local dealer was the keyboard, Orange bundled it with the package at no additional cost, a 180CHF savings. I gave the phone to my son because I am very happy with my 1020, the 930 though is a really nice phone, very attractive and probably the fastest phone I have every used next to the iPhone.
  • Reply 30 of 77
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member

    I agree, I like the high end Windows Phones a lot, and even the mid-range ones seem pretty good.  Defiance!

  • Reply 31 of 77
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by PScooter63 View Post

     

     

    Aren't they occasionally cited by Apple brass?


     

    Yes, Apple PR will use their numbers when they are good for Apple PR. But their numbers are so clearly made up or based on things so vague that their "information" is really just wild guesses.  So my question is: does anyone really believe their numbers?

  • Reply 32 of 77

    It's hard to imagine how Microsoft spent all that money acquiring Nokia and the Windows Phone platform remains on a decline.  I'm not saying it's written in stone to remain this way but Microsoft has a long uphill battle to even slightly turn things around.  It seems the most likely way would be for Microsoft to incur more financial losses to gain market share by trying to undercut whole bunches of smaller companies.  I'm sure Microsoft has the funds to do it but unless they can come out with some pretty special smartphones, the future of Windows Phone OS honestly doesn't look all that promising for the next few years.

  • Reply 33 of 77
    relicrelic Posts: 4,735member
    An increasing number of analysts is saying that Microsoft should just give up, and cut their losses. (One analyst invented the term "Zuned out" to describe what happens when a company waits for major players to prove that a marketplace is lucrative before getting into it - too late.)

    Makes me think back to Microsoft employees' 2010 funeral for the iPhone (http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-iphone-funeral-2010-9?op=1), as they wanted to believe that Windows Phone was going to overwhelm the competition. Oh, the irony, as mourners become the mourned.

    I hope not as I really like the platform. It's a real phone OS, so many platforms try to be both a phone and a tablet that you get kind of overwhelmed. I'm just so much faster with my Nokia 1020 then with say my Nexus 5 and now that the new 8.1 has finally added those missing features that made the platform kind of week like; notifications, quick setting tongles and even Cortana (Siri Clone) it's even better. Even the apps have caught up somewhat, there is no longer any apps that iOS or Android have that I want, their all available for WM8.1. It's just a good, fast, stable, handsome looking system, so I would be crushed if Microsoft took it away from me now that I am finally enjoying it, it's just something different then simply having a grid of apps on a screen. Even the hardware that runs the OS is top notch, I have never experienced any lag with my Nokia 1020, the new 930 is just blazing fast and that screen is beautiful, not to mention the cameras in both models are the best you can get in a mobile phone today.
  • Reply 34 of 77
    hahahahahaha! Wait, Apple holds 3.6% of the market but sucks 80% of all money in the market. Apple must be a genius! Android tactics is simple:

    1. install android in all crappy devices you find and call that device a smartphone.
    2. count the number of sales to retailers as real sales
    3. BOOM, now you are the "leader" of the market.

    But wait, people who buy your "smartphones" don't give a shit to app stores, buying music, buying videos and apps, browsing the web, sending emails, etc., they just make phone calls.

    Now you are the king of beggars. While you brag about your leadership, Apple is on the other side of the market with their vacuum cleaners on full steam, sucking all the money on the market and you are fighting with other beggars to get some crumbles.

    Android leadership is so crappy that the iPhone appears in all charts as the most used device, most used camera on flickr and instagram, most web traffic, etc. Where are all those trillions of android devices? being used as paper weight?
  • Reply 35 of 77
    pscooter63pscooter63 Posts: 1,080member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Relic View Post



    So many platforms try to be both a phone and a tablet that you get kind of overwhelmed.

     

    Because learning a separate OS for each device is so much easier and intuitive... wait, what?

     

    (And what about that Windows Everywhere marketing push?)

  • Reply 36 of 77
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    jason98 wrote: »
    So I am with my $700 iPhone starting wondering how Apple can even compete with these phones...

    That's the same line they've been using since 2007.
    agramonte wrote: »
    so if only 20% of Android phones are over 400+ and the total number of headset are 255.3.... Android is still moving more phones over 400+ compared to iOS

    20% of 255 = 50.1 (in millions) handset over 400+ - seeing how Apple total is 35.2 (all tiers included)

    These are IDC numbers. Take them with a grain of salt.
  • Reply 37 of 77
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jason98 View Post

     

     

    Two of my colleagues (both make well above 6 figure for the reference) bought  Lumia 520 for about $100 unlocked.

    Maybe camera is shitty but UI is smooth as silk from what I've seen.

     

    So I am with my $700 iPhone starting wondering how Apple can even compete with these phones...


     

    I don't think Apple will be able to continue with profit margins of 30% and 40+% on the iPhone forever, but you have to remember that Apple uses the money they make here to reinvest in their ecosystem.

     

    None of the Android OEMs make enough money solely on hardware to support a modern mobile ecosystem (Samsung tries, but the result isn't pretty); they rely almost completely on Google for that. And Google itself couldn't maintain its Android ecosystem if it relied solely on Android profits....its all heavily subsidize by its ad and non-Android revenue. The same goes with Microsoft and their OEMs.

     

    The money for Apple's greater ecosystem has to come from somewhere and right now they are milking the iPhone for that.

     

    The question is, which model (Apple's or Google's) can be sustained long term? If Google's model is good long term, Apple might have a problem keeping their high profit margins. If Google's Android OEMs continue loosing money and more go out of business, those great cheap high-end Android phones may start disappearing and the pressure on Apple will completely disappear with them.

  • Reply 38 of 77
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by agramonte View Post

     

    so if only 20% of Android phones are over 400+ and the total number of headset are 255.3.... Android is still moving more phones over 400+ compared to iOS

     

    20% of 255 = 50.1 (in millions) handset over 400+ - seeing how Apple total is 35.2 (all tiers included)


    This is the reason why Apple took most of the profits. Because their phones are in high end segment which gave bigger profit margin. 60% android phones are junks and 20% android mid range are semi-junks...seriously.

  • Reply 39 of 77
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JamesTheLesser View Post

     

     

    I don't think Apple will be able to continue with profit margins of 30% and 40+% on the iPhone forever, but you have to remember that Apple uses the money they make here to reinvest in their ecosystem.

     


    Before you say that, look at BMW, their margin never changed for decades. It's about brand image that Apple build into loyal customers and new comers too. Ask a BMW owner what car would they want to get next time: a honda, toyota, ford or GM? Don't think so.

  • Reply 40 of 77
    piotpiot Posts: 1,346member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by JONOROM View Post



    It is far past time for analysts to differentiate the Google Play platform from the bastardized versions of Android AOSP running on most phones in Asia and even on Amazon's devices.

     

    Well one company is doing just that: https://www.abiresearch.com/press/2q-2014-smartphone-results-forked-android-aosp-gro

     

    Short version...ASOP accounts for 20% of the market. Nearly a quarter of 'total' Android.

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