Google widens smartphone lead over iPhone, BlackBerry
Stats show dramatic rise over the past year.
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Click to zoom (Palm is now owned by HP; Symbian is Nokia's smartphone OS ... or at least it is until a new partnership with Microsoft produces new Nokia models based on the Windows Phone OS).
The rising adoption of smartphones in the US has created a very competitive landscape for the top three mobile operating systems, Google Android (used on phones by HTC, Huawei, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericson and others), Apple iOS (used by iPhones and iPads) and RIM's BlackBerry OS, says a new survey by market tracker ComScore.
READ ALSO: Android takes lead in US smartphone market, says Nielsen report
From 2.4% share to 36.4% share in two years
Google Android has rapidly ascended in this market, growing from just 605,000 subscribers (2.4 percent market share) in April 2009 to more than 27 million subscribers (36.4 percent market share) in April 2011. Google held the #3 position since June 2010 before it passed Apple for the #2 position in November 2010. Two short months later, it surpassed RIM to secure the #1 ranking in January 2011.
Apple grows too
Apple has also succeeded in capturing share in this market over the past 2 years, growing from 5.1 million subscribers (20.1 percent market share) in April 2009 to more than 19 million subscribers (26.0 percent market share) in April 2011. Apple held the #2 position from August 2009 to October 2010, when it fell to #3 at the expense of Google. In April 2011, Apple regained the #2 position between RIM (#3) and Google (#1).
Figures are not available for the New Zealand market, but Telecom has put Android-based phones at the centre of its XT campaigns, while Vodafone (the official iPhone carrier) and 2degrees have also pushed the Google OS at various times. BlackBerry - not even supported by 2degrees - seems to have slipped off the carriers' marketing radar altogether.
NBR staff
Wed, 08 Jun 2011
Wed, 08 Jun 2011
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Google widens smartphone lead over iPhone, BlackBerry
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